Chapter category: Biotechnology

Transgenic Analysis of the Biological Functions of a Doublesex Homologue in Bombyx mori

This chapter appears in the following book:

Transgenic Silkworms

Edited by: Katsutoshi Yoshizato
ISBN: 1-58706-176-7
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Masataka G. Suzuki and Toru Shimada

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In D. melanogaster, a well-characterized cascade of genes, called the ‘sex determination cascade,’ is known to control somatic sex determination and differentiation.1-4 The primary genetic signal for sex determination is the ratio of X-chromosomes to sets of autosomes. A ratio of 1.0 leads to female, and a ratio of 0.5, to male development. This is because the master switch gene, Sex-lethal (Sxl), can be activated only when the ratio of X chromosomes to sets of autosomes exceeds 1.0. The SXL protein acts as a splicing factor on the RNA produced by the tra gene, resulting in the production of the active TRA protein in females. TRA and TRA-2 determine the female-specific splicing of the dsx RNA to produce the female-specific DSX protein (DSXF). In males, all these regulatory decisions do not occur, and, by default, the male-specific product of the dsx (DSXM) is produced. The DSXF and DSXM proteins regulate the sex-specific transcription of target genes that encode the sexual phenotype of the body.

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Chapter category: Biotechnology

Transgenic Analysis of the Biological Functions of a Doublesex Homologue in Bombyx mori

Additional chapters from this book:

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