Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Sex determination compared in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis

Abstract

Fruitflies and nematodes show many similarities in the general organization of the gene networks that control sexual dimorphism and dosage compensation. In contrast, the underlying molecular mechanisms appear to be very different in these two species. Developmental processes such as sex determination need not be strongly conserved in evolution.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Baker, B. S. & Belote, J. M. A. Rev. Genet. 17, 345–393 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lucchesi, J. C. & Manning, J. E. Adv. Genet. 24, 371–429 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Baker, B. S. Nature 340, 521–524 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cline, T. W. Cell 59, 231–234 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wolfner, M. Trends Genet. 4, 333–337 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Wood, W. B. et al. (eds) The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1988).

  7. Hodgkin, J. A. Rev. Genet. 21, 133–154 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Villeneuve, A. M. & Meyer, B. J. Adv. Genet. 27, 117–188 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Meyer, B. J. Trends Genet. 4, 337–342 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kimble, J. Phil Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 322, 11–18 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. White, M. J. D. Animal Cytology and Evolution (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sudhaus, W. Zool. Jb. Syst. Bd. 101, 417–465 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bridges, C. B. Science 54, 252–254 (1921).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Madl, J. A. & Herman, R. K. Genetics 93, 393–402 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Dobzhansky, T. & Schultz, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 17, 513–518 (1931).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cline, T. W. Genetics 119, 829–862 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Meneely, P. M. & Nordstrom, K. D. Genetics 119, 365–375 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Torres, M. & Sanchez, L. EMBO J. 8, 3079–3086 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Alonso, M. C. & Cabrera, C. V. EMBO J. 7, 2585–2591 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Murre, C., McCaw, P. S. & Baltimore, D. Cell 56, 777–783 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Romani, S., Campuzano, S. & Modolell, J. EMBO J. 6, 2085–2092 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. McCoubrey, W. K., Nordstrom, K. D. & Meneely, P. M. Science 242, 1146–1151 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Cline, T. W. Genetics 107, 231–277 (1984).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Miller, L. M., Plenefisch, J. D., Casson, L. P. & Meyer, B. J. Cell 55, 167–183 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Villeneuve, A. M. & Meyer, B. J. Cell 48, 25–37 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nusbaum, C. & Meyer, B. J. Genetics 122, 579–593 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Bell, L. R., Maine, E. M., Schedl, P. & Cline, T. W. Cell 55, 1037–1046 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Salz, H. et al. Genes Dev. 3, 708–719 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Cline, T. W. Genetics 113, 641–663 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Oliver, B., Perrimon, N. & Mahowald, A. P. Genetics 120, 159–171 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Steinmann-Zwicky, M. EMBO J. 7, 3889–3898 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Nagoshi, R. N. et al. Cell 53, 229–236 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Hodgkin, J. Development 101 Suppl., 5–16 (1987).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Plenefisch, J. D., DeLong, L. & Meyer, B. J. Genetics 121, 57–76 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  35. Meyer, B. J. & Casson, L. P. Cell 47, 871–881 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Spradling, A. C. & Rubin, G. M. Cell 34, 47–57 (1983).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Hazelrigg, T. Trends Genet. 3, 43–47 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Gergen, P. Genetics 117, 477–485 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Baker, B. S. & Ridge, K. Genetics 94, 383–423 (1980).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Cline, T. W. Devl Biol. 72, 266–275 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. McKeown, M., Belote, J. M. & Boggs, R. T. Cell 53, 887–895 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Amrein, H., Gorman, M. & Nothiger, R. Cell 55, 1025–1035 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Goralski, T., Edstrom, J. E. & Baker, B. S. Cell 56, 1011–1018 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Burtis, K. C., & Baker, B. S. Cell 56, 997–1009 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Hodgkin, J. Genes Dev. 1, 731–745 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Rosenquist, T. A. & Kimble, J. E. Genes Dev. 2, 606–616 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Spence, A. M., Coulson, A. & Hodgkin, J. Cell (in the press).

  48. Wharton, K. A. et al. Cell 43, 567–581 (1985).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Kidd, S., Kelley, M. R. & Young, M. W. Molec. cell. Biol. 6, 3094–3098 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  50. Yochem, J. & Greenwald, I. Cell 58, 553–563 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Austin, J. & Kimble, J. Cell 51, 589–599 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Hodgkin, J. Genetics 114, 15–52 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Barton, M. K., Schedl, T. B. & Kimble, J. Genetics 115, 107–119 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  54. Schupbach, T. Genetics 109, 529–548 (1985).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  55. Steinmann-Zwicky, M., Schmid, H. & Nothiger, R. Cell 57, 157–166 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. McLaren, A. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 322, 3–9 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Oliver, P., Perrimon, N. & Mahowald, A. Genes Dev. 1, 913–923 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Schedl, T., Graham, P. L., Barton, M. K. & Kimble, J. E. Genetics 123, 755–769 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  59. Doniach, T. Genetics 114, 53–76 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. Schedl, T. & Kimble, J. E. Genetics 119, 43–61 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Bull, J. J. Evolution of Sex Determining Mechanisms (Benjamin/Cummings, Menlo Park, California, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hodgkin, J. Sex determination compared in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis. Nature 344, 721–728 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/344721a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/344721a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing