Requirement of Rbp9 in the maintenance of Drosophila germline sexual identity.
Drosophila germline sex determination is controlled by a group of genes expressed at early stages of oogenesis (ovo, otu, bam, and Sxl, etc.). Mutations in these genes cause not only sex transformation of female germ cells, but also ovarian tumors. Although mutations at the Rbp9 locus also cause an ovarian tumor phenotype, Rbp9 has been shown to function during later developmental stages than do other ovarian tumor-causing genes. To test whether Rbp9 is also required for germline sex determination, we examined the sex transformation process of female germ cells in Rbp9 mutant flies. The detection of Sxl male transcripts and other male germline markers in Rbp9 mutant ovaries revealed that the Rbp9 mutation caused a partial germline sex transformation. Therefore, sex determination signals that persist throughout oogenesis appear to be required for proper maintenance of germline sexual identity.
Lee
S H
SH
Laboratory of Molecular Development, Center for Molecular Medicine, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
Y
Y
Kim-Ha
J
J
D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019849:Sex Determination Processes
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C079911:Rbp9 protein, Drosophila