Journal article
fruitless Gene Products Truncated of their Male-Like Qualities Promote Neural and Behavioral Maleness in Drosophila If these Proteins Are Produced In the Right Places At the Right Times
Journal of neurogenetics, Vol.22(1), pp.17-55
2008
DOI: 10.1080/01677060701671947
PMID: 18363163
Abstract
To bring GAL4 production under the control of the sex promoter (P1) contained within Drosophila's fruitless gene, a gal4 cassette was previously inserted downstream of P1. This insert should eliminate male-specific FRUM proteins, which normally contain 101 amino acids (aa's) at their N termini. Thus males homozygous for the P1-gal4 insert should be courtless, as was briefly stated to be so in the initial report of this transgenic type. But XY flies whose only fru form is P1-gal4 have now been found to court vigorously. P1-gal4 females displayed no appreciable male-like actions except courtship rejection behaviors; yet, they developed a male-specific abdominal muscle. No immunoreactivity against the male-specific aa's was detectable in P1-gal4 flies. But male-like neural signals were observed in XY or XX P1-gal4 pupae and adults after applying an antibody that detects all FRU isoforms; transgenic females displayed reduced expression of such proteins. RT-PCR's rationalized these findings: P1 transcripts include anomalous splice forms from which gal4 was removed, allowing FRU's lacking M aa's to be produced in male-like patterns in both sexes. Within males, such defective proteins promote neural differentiation and function that is sufficient to support spirited P1-gal4 courtship. But dispensability of the male-specific FRU N-terminus is tempered by the finding that intra-fru sequences encoding these 101 aa's are highly conserved among interspecific relatives of D. melanogaster.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- fruitless Gene Products Truncated of their Male-Like Qualities Promote Neural and Behavioral Maleness in Drosophila If these Proteins Are Produced In the Right Places At the Right Times
- Creators
- Sarah L. Ferri - Brandeis UniversityRudolf A. Bohm - Brandeis UniversityHayden E. Lincicome - Brandeis UniversityJeffrey C. Hall - Brandeis UniversityAdriana Villella - Brandeis University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of neurogenetics, Vol.22(1), pp.17-55
- DOI
- 10.1080/01677060701671947
- PMID
- 18363163
- NLM abbreviation
- J Neurogenet
- ISSN
- 0167-7063
- eISSN
- 1563-5260
- Publisher
- Informa UK Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
- Record Identifier
- 9984354153202771
Metrics
8 Record Views