Alternative splicing of the sex determination gene transformer-2 is sex-specific in the germ line but not in the soma.
10.1101/gad.4.5.789
Crossref journal-article
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Genes & Development (246)
Abstract

The transformer-2 (tra-2) gene of Drosophila melanogaster plays essential roles in both sexual differentiation in the female soma and spermatogenesis in the male germ line. In the female soma, tra-2 is known to act with other genes in the sex determination regulatory cascade to control the sex-specific alternative splicing of transcripts from the doublesex gene. Here, we determine whether or not any sex-specific tra-2 products are expressed that may account for either of these sex-specific activities. Sequence analysis of the tra-2 gene and 10 tra-2 cDNA clones coupled with nuclease protection analysis reveals a variety of alternatively spliced tra-2 mRNAs that each encode one of four distinct but overlapping polypeptides. Three of the encoded polypeptides contain both a ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence and arginine/serine-rich regions, suggesting a direct role for these products in RNA splicing. We show that although two transcripts are expressed male specifically in the germ line, the tra-2 transcripts expressed in the soma are not sex-specific. The translation of products from a tra-2-lacZ fusion gene in both sexes suggests that the female-specific functioning of tra-2 in somatic tissues is not attributable to a translational mechanism. We suggest that tra-2 activity in somatic tissues is regulated through a post-translational sex-specific interaction with the product of the tra gene rather than through the expression of a female-specific tra-2 polypeptide.

Bibliography

Mattox, W., Palmer, M. J., & Baker, B. S. (1990). Alternative splicing of the sex determination gene transformer-2 is sex-specific in the germ line but not in the soma. Genes & Development, 4(5), 789–805.

Authors 3
  1. W Mattox (first)
  2. M J Palmer (additional)
  3. B S Baker (additional)
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Dates
Type When
Created 18 years, 2 months ago (June 5, 2007, 5:15 p.m.)
Deposited 3 years, 9 months ago (Nov. 13, 2021, 11:09 p.m.)
Indexed 1 month ago (July 24, 2025, 7:58 a.m.)
Issued 35 years, 3 months ago (May 1, 1990)
Published 35 years, 3 months ago (May 1, 1990)
Published Online 35 years, 3 months ago (May 1, 1990)
Published Print 35 years, 3 months ago (May 1, 1990)
Funders 0

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@article{Mattox_1990, title={Alternative splicing of the sex determination gene transformer-2 is sex-specific in the germ line but not in the soma.}, volume={4}, ISSN={1549-5477}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/gad.4.5.789}, DOI={10.1101/gad.4.5.789}, number={5}, journal={Genes & Development}, publisher={Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory}, author={Mattox, W and Palmer, M J and Baker, B S}, year={1990}, month=may, pages={789–805} }