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Expressional and functional analysis of the male‐specific cluster mst36F during Drosophila spermatogenesis
Author(s) -
Di Cara F.,
Cavaliere D.,
Galliero V.,
Polito L. C.,
Digilio F. A.
Publication year - 2010
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2010.01033.x
Subject(s) - biology , germline , gene , drosophila melanogaster , rna interference , genetics , transgene , gene family , gene silencing , meiosis , gene expression , rna
mst36Fa and mst36Fb are two male‐specific genes that are part of a novel gene family recently characterized in Drosophila melanogaster . The genes are strictly clustered and show an identical tissue and temporal expression pattern limited to the male germline. Here we demonstrate that the transcription of these two genes, which is triggered by different cis regulatory elements, responds to the same testis‐specific factors encoded by the aly and can class meiotic arrest genes. RNA interference was used to decrease expression of these two genes. We obtained a reduction of fertility in the transgenic adult males compared to the wild type. These data suggest that the Mst36Fa and Mst36Fb proteins may have an important role in the production of functional sperm.