Logo image
Molecular characterization of ovarian tumors in drosophila
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Molecular characterization of ovarian tumors in drosophila

Eunkyung Bae, Kevin R Cook, Pamela K Geyer and Rod N Nagoshi
Mechanisms of development, Vol.47(2), pp.151-164
1994
DOI: 10.1016/0925-4773(94)90087-6
PMID: 7811638

View Online

Abstract

Certain female-sterile mutations in Drosophila result in the uncontrolled proliferation of X/X germ cells. It has been proposed that this ovarian tumor phenotype results from the sexual transformation of X/X germ cells to a male identity. We present findings inconsistent with this model. We demonstrate that the tumorous cells produced by mutations in the ovarian tumor ( otu), Sex-lethal ( Sxl) and sans fille ( snf) genes are capable of female-specific transcription and RNA processing. This indicates that these ovarian tumor cells still retain some female identity. Therefore, we propose that mutations in these genes do not cause a male transformation of the X/X germ line but instead either cause an ambiguous sexual identity or block specific stages of oogenesis. Our findings indicate that while Sxl is the master sex determination gene in somatic cells, it appears to play a more subsidiary role in the germ line. Finally, we demonstrate that the germ line function of Sxl depends on the activity of a specific OTU isoform.
Oogenesis Sex determination Drosophila Germline Ovarian tumor

Details

Metrics

Logo image