TY - JOUR
T1 - The JAK/STAT signaling pathway is required for the initial choice of sexual identity in Drosophila melanogaster
AU - Jinks, Timothy M.
AU - Polydorides, Alexandros D.
AU - Calhoun, Gretchen
AU - Schedl, Paul
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank J. Harrison, D. Ish-Horowicz, N. Perrimon, T. Schupbach, and E. Weischaus for kindly providing fly stocks. Discussions with members of the Schedl lab, particularly G. Deshpande and M. Gaszner, are greatly appreciated. We thank L. Gavis and J. Yanowitz for their comments on the manuscript, and G. Grey for fly media. This work was supported by NIH.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - The choice of sexual identity in Drosophila is determined by a system that measures the X chromosome to autosome ratio (X/A). This system depends upon unequal expression of X-linked numerator genes in 1X and 2X nuclei. The numerators activate a special Sxl promoter, Sxl-Pe, in 2X/2A nuclei, but not 1X/2A nuclei. By multimerizing a conserved Sxl-Pe sequence block, we generated a gain-of-function promoter, Sxl-Pe(GOF), that is inappropriately active in 1X/2A nuclei. GOF activity requires the X-linked unpaired (upd) gene, which encodes a ligand for the Drosophila JAK/STAT signaling pathway. upd also functions as a numerator element in regulating wild-type Sxl-Pe reporters. We demonstrate that the JAK kinase, Hopscotch, and the STAT DNA-binding protein, Marelle, are also required for Sxl-Pe activation.
AB - The choice of sexual identity in Drosophila is determined by a system that measures the X chromosome to autosome ratio (X/A). This system depends upon unequal expression of X-linked numerator genes in 1X and 2X nuclei. The numerators activate a special Sxl promoter, Sxl-Pe, in 2X/2A nuclei, but not 1X/2A nuclei. By multimerizing a conserved Sxl-Pe sequence block, we generated a gain-of-function promoter, Sxl-Pe(GOF), that is inappropriately active in 1X/2A nuclei. GOF activity requires the X-linked unpaired (upd) gene, which encodes a ligand for the Drosophila JAK/STAT signaling pathway. upd also functions as a numerator element in regulating wild-type Sxl-Pe reporters. We demonstrate that the JAK kinase, Hopscotch, and the STAT DNA-binding protein, Marelle, are also required for Sxl-Pe activation.
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U2 - 10.1016/S1097-2765(00)80451-7
DO - 10.1016/S1097-2765(00)80451-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 10882142
AN - SCOPUS:0033696680
SN - 1097-2765
VL - 5
SP - 581
EP - 587
JO - Molecular Cell
JF - Molecular Cell
IS - 3
ER -