title: The Sex-lethal gene of Drosophila: DNA alterations associated with sex-specific lethal mutations.
abstract: Genomic DNA encoding Sex-lethal, a developmental switch gene in Drosophila melanogaster that regulates sex determination and dosage compensation has been isolated. Wild-type DNA sequence organization of the gene has been compared at the restriction level with those of 17 female-specific, loss-of-function and five male-specific, gain-of-function mutant alleles. DNA lesions associated with 12 of these mutations delimit an 11 kb DNA region that is necessary for proper Sex-lethal function in females. Males who are deleted for this region are both viable and fertile. Loss-of-function alleles are associated with gross DNA alterations as well as true point mutations; the former are located throughout the region. In contrast, all five gain-of-function alleles are associated with DNA insertions that are clustered within a 1 kb portion of the Sxl gene region.
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D007446:Chromosome Inversion; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008297:Male; D009024:Morphogenesis; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004247:DNA