Molecular and Genetic Analysis of Sex Determination in Drosophila

Salz 基因表达可以通过内含子的选择性剪接来控制，并且该机制的最佳研究实例之一是果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）中性别决定的主开关基因Sx 1。该基因在两性中都有转录，但只有在雌性中，作为选择性剪接的结果，才是一种功能蛋白。女性特异性剪接需要snf的功能，snf是编码与人类剪接蛋白U1 A和U2 B同源的蛋白质的基因。本工作的目的是（1）确定snfs在Sx 1剪接调控中的作用是否需要其U1 snRNP和/或U2 snRNP功能，（2）确定人类U1 A和/或U2 B蛋白在果蝇中是否起作用，以及（3）鉴定其在Sx 1剪接调控中的作用所必需的Snf蛋白结构域。 由于RNA剪接机制的组成部分在进化上是保守的，因此从拟议的研究中产生的数据将为理解许多生物体（包括人类）中调节前mRNA剪接的机制做出重大贡献。

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.