Function of the her-1 gene is required for maintenance of male differentiation in adult tissues of C. elegans.
Function of the sex-determining gene her-1 is required in XO embryos of C. elegans to specify male development. Using a temperature-sensitive mutant of her-1, we show that when XO males reared at a permissive temperature are shifted as adults to a nonpermissive temperature, they initiate vitellogenin synthesis in the intestine and oocyte production in the germline. A similar shift has no effect on her-1(+) males. We conclude that sexual differentiation of the intestine and germline is plastic, requiring her-1 expression throughout adulthood for maintenance of the male state.
Schedin
P
P
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
Jonas
P
P
Wood
W B
WB
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D005260:Female; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009866:Oogenesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D013696:Temperature; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014960:X Chromosome
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins; C079744:her-1 protein, C elegans