Research article

Sex-specific Doublesex^M expression in subsets of Drosophila somatic gonad cells

Leonie U Hempel and Brian Oliver

• Corresponding authors: Leonie U Hempel hempell@niddk.nih.gov - Brian Oliver oliver@helix.nih.gov

Author Affiliations

Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Bethesda MD 20892 USA

BMC Developmental Biology 2007, 7:113 doi:10.1186/1471-213X-7-113

Published: 12 October 2007

Abstract

Background

In Drosophila melanogaster, a pre-mRNA splicing hierarchy controls sexual identity and ultimately leads to sex-specific Doublesex (DSX) transcription factor isoforms. The male-specific DSX^M represses genes involved in female development and activates genes involved in male development. Spatial and temporal control of dsx during embryogenesis is not well documented.

Results

Here we show that DSX^M is specifically expressed in subsets of male somatic gonad cells during embryogenesis. Following testis formation, germ cells remain in contact with DSX^M-expressing cells, including hub cells and premeiotic somatic cyst cells that surround germ cells during spermatogenesis in larval and adult testes.

Conclusion

We show that dsx is transcriptionally regulated in addition to being regulated at the pre-mRNA splicing level by the sex determination hierarchy. The dsx locus is spatially controlled by somatic gonad identity. The continuous expression of DSX^M in cells contacting the germline suggests an ongoing short-range influence of the somatic sex determination pathway on germ cell development.