Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Sex Determination in Drosophila

Salz 9630262基因的表达可以通过内含子的选择性剪接来控制，其中一个研究得最好的例子是果蝇性别决定的主开关基因Sx1。该基因在两性中都被转录，但只有在女性中才会产生一种功能蛋白质，这是选择性剪接的结果。女性特有的剪接需要SNF的功能，SNF是一种编码与人类剪接蛋白U1A和U2B同源的蛋白质的基因。本工作的目的是(1)确定SNF在SX1剪接调控中的作用是否需要其U1和/或U2 SNRNP功能；(2)确定人类U1A和/或U2B蛋白是否在果蝇中发挥功能；(3)确定其在SX1剪接调控中所必需的SNF蛋白结构域。%由于RNA剪接机制各组成部分的进化保守，从拟议的研究中产生的数据将为理解包括人类在内的许多生物体中调节前mRNA剪接的机制做出重要贡献。

Salz 9630262 Gene expression can be controlled by alternative splicing of introns and one of the best studied examples of that mechanism is the master switch gene of sex determination, Sx1, in Drosophila melanogaster. The gene is transcribed in both sexes, but only in the female is a functional protein made as a consequence of alternative splicing. The female specific splice requires the function of snf, a gene that encodes a protein with homology to the human splice proteins U1A and U2B. The goals of this work are (1) to determine whether snfs role in Sx1 splicing regulation requires its U1 snRNP and/or U2 snRNP function, (2) to determine if the human U1A and/or U2B proteins function in Drosophila and (3) to identify the Snf protein domains necessary for its role in Sx1 splicing regulation. %%% As a consequence of the evolutionary conservation of the components of the RNA splicing machinery, the data generated from the proposed studies will provide a significant contribution to the understanding of mechanisms that regulate pre-mRNA splicing in many organisms, including humans.