Sex-Specific Transcript Diversity in the Fly Head Is Established during Pupal Stages and Adulthood and Is Largely Independent of the Mating Process and the Germline

We report that at least 47 genes display sex-specific AS in the adult fly head. Unlike targets of the classicalSex lethal-dependent sex determination cascade, sex-specific isoforms of the vast majority of these genes are not present during larval development but start accumulating during metamorphosis or later, indicating the existence of novel mechanisms in the induction of sex-specific AS. We also established that sex-specific AS in the adult fly head is largely independent of the germline or the mating process. Finally, we investigated the role of sex-specific AS of the sulfotransferaseTango13 pre-mRNA and provide first evidence that differential expression of certain isoforms of this protein significantly affects courtship and mating behavior in male flies.Sex Dev

Source: Sexual Development - March 8, 2017 Category: Biology Source Type: research