Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Erickson, J.W., Cline, T.W. (1998). Key aspects of the primary sex determination mechanism are conserved across the genus Drosophila. Development 125(16): 3259--3268. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0104429
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	9671597
PubMed Abstract	In D. melanogaster, a set of 'X:A numerator genes', which includes sisterlessA (sisA), determines sex by controlling the transcription of Sex-lethal (Sxl). We characterized sisA from D. pseudoobscura and D. virilis and studied the timing of sisA and Sxl expression with single cell-cycle resolution in D. virilis, both to guide structure-function studies of sisA and to help understand sex determination evolution. We found that D. virilis sisA shares 58% amino acid identity with its melanogaster ortholog. The identities confirm sisA as an atypical bZIP transcription factor. Although virilis sisA can substitute for melanogaster sisA, the protein is not fully functional in a heterologous context. The putative sisA regulatory sequence CAGGTAG is a potential 'numerator box,' since it is shared with the other strong X:A numerator gene, sisB, and its target, SxlPe. Temporal and spatial features of sisA and SxlPe expression are strikingly conserved, including rapid onset and cessation of transcription in somatic nuclei, early cessation of sisA transcription in budding pole cells and persistent high-level sisA expression in yolk nuclei. Expression of sisA and Sxl is as tightly coupled in virilis as it is in melanogaster. Taken together, these data indicate that the same primary sex determination mechanism exists throughout the genus Drosophila.
DOI
Related Publication(s)
Recent Updates
Description	What does this section display? This section contains items that were added to this record for each release. It currently only tracks new links between this FlyBase report and other FlyBase data classes (e.g. genes, references, stocks) or controlled vocabulary terms (e.g. GO, anatomy terms). What does this section not display? This section does not currently display links that were removed or gene model changes.
Update Feed	Click the icon below to subscribe to this FlyBase record and receive updates automatically through your feed reader.
FB2013_03
FB2013_02
All updates	Click here to see a list of all updates to this record from FB2010_08 and on.
Associated Information
Comments
Associated Files
Other Information
Secondary IDs
Language of Publication	English
Additional Languages of Abstract
Also Published As
Parent Publication
Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	Development
Title	Development
Publication Year	1987-
ISBN/ISSN	0950-1991
Data from Reference
Alleles (5)
	Dvir\sisA^sisA.PK l(1)10Bb^+t6.4 sisA¹ sisA^+t6.4 w^+mC
Constructs (2)
	P{sisA10} P{SISA-VIR.K}
Genes (8)
	Dpse\sisA Dvir\sisA Dvir\Sxl l(1)10Bb sc sisA Sxl w