The master switch gene Sex-lethal promotes female development by negatively regulating the n-signaling pathway
The master switch gene Sex-lethal promotes female development by negatively regulating the n-signaling pathway
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DOI：
10.1016/j.devcel.2007.01.009
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发表时间：
2007-02-01
影响因子：
11.8
通讯作者：
Schedl, Paul
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Penn, Jill K. M.;Schedl, Paul
Notch（N）信号传导在许多不同的发育环境中用于细胞命运决定。在这里，我们表明，主控制基因的性别决定在果蝇，性致死（Sxl），负调控的N-信号通路的女性。在遗传测定中，降低Sxl活性抑制N突变的表型效应，而增加Sxl活性增强该效应。Sxl似乎通过减少N蛋白积累来负调节该途径，并且在Sxl（-）克隆中发现比在相邻野生型细胞中更高水平的N。N表达的抑制不依赖于已知的Sxl下游靶点;然而，我们发现Sxl蛋白可以与N mRNA结合。最后，我们的结果表明，Sxl下调N途径导致了形态学上的性别特异性差异，并表明它也可能在卵子发生期间的卵泡细胞特化中发挥重要作用。
Notch (N) signaling is used for cell-fate determination in many different developmental contexts. Here, we show that the master control gene for sex determination in Drosophila melanogaster, Sex-lethal (Sxl), negatively regulates the N-signaling pathway in females. In genetic assays, reducing Sxl activity suppresses the phenotypic effects of N mutations, while increasing Sxl activity enhances the effects. Sxl appears to negatively regulate the pathway by reducing N protein accumulation, and higher levels of N are found in Sxl(-) clones than in adjacent wild-type cells. The inhibition of N expression does not depend on the known downstream targets of Sxl; however, we find that Sxl protein can bind to N mRNAs. Finally, our results indicate that downregulation of the N pathway by Sxl contributes to sex-specific differences in morphology and suggest that it may also play an important role in follicle cell specification during oogenesis.