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The involvement of ovarian tumour in the intracellular localization of Sex‐lethal protein
Author(s) -
Hinson S.,
Nagoshi R. N.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
insect molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.955
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2583
pISSN - 0962-1075
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2583.2002.00332.x
Subject(s) - biology , germline , oogenesis , polytene chromosome , gene , ovarian cancer , genetics , ovary , soma , drosophila melanogaster , cancer , embryogenesis , neuroscience
The Drosophila ovarian tumour gene is required at multiple times in the germline for oogenesis. A second gene, Sex‐lethal , controls sex determination in the soma and also has a separate germline function affecting similar oogenic stages as ovarian tumour . We demonstrate that ovarian tumour is not required for early Sex‐lethal gene expression in the female germline, as had been previously reported. Instead, we provide evidence that ovarian tumour has a specific role in the developmentally regulated accumulation of SEX‐LETHAL protein within the cytoplasm and nucleus. Furthermore, the examination of nurse cell polytene chromosomes produced by certain ovarian tumour mutations showed that SEX‐LETHAL protein can associate with discrete chromosomal sites in the germline and that this pattern appears to change as the egg chamber matures. This is the first indication that SEX‐LETHAL is capable of direct physical interactions with chromosomes (albeit in a mutant background) and is consistent with the developmentally regulated nuclear localization of SEX‐LETHAL being important for oogenesis.