Genomic organisation and characterisation of the neural sex-determination gene fruitless (fru) in the Hawaiian species Drosophila heteroneura.
There are several mechanisms for the determination of sex. Sexual behaviour is part of the sex-determination cascade, and in Drosophila melanogaster male courtship is controlled in part by the fruitless gene. As part of a study of sexual behaviour in Hawaiian Drosophila, we have cloned the neural sex-determination gene fru from the Hawaiian picture-wing species Drosophila heteroneura. The fru gene has at least seven exons covering a region of 18kb and encodes three transcripts, fruA, fruB and fruC. Each transcript encodes a single ORF of 841, 678 and 691aa, respectively. The FRUA and FRUB proteins have a BTB protein-protein-binding domain and two zinc finger-like domains and are well conserved with the D. melanogaster proteins. The FRUC protein has a BTB domain but no zinc finger-like domains. The fru gene is expressed in 1-7 day old adult males as a 5.1kb transcript. This transcript is not seen in adult females, so the fru gene has a different pattern of sex-differential expression in the Hawaiian Drosophila compared with D. melanogaster.
Davis
T
T
Yamamoto Behavior Genes Project, ERATO, Center for Conservation Research and Training, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 408, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. davist2@cardiff.ac.uk
Kurihara
J
J
Yamamoto
D
D
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014157:Transcription Factors; C103226:fru protein, Drosophila; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA