Male crossing over and genetic sexing systems in the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina

Foster, G. G.; Weller, G. L.; Clarke, Geoffrey M.

doi:10.1038/hdy.1991.100

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…A similar pattern was reported in the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Foster et al, 1980). However, in a subsequent study it was shown that the structural integrity of the Y chromosome had little or no influence on crossing-over in male L. cuprina (Foster et al, 1991). In the present study we observed male meiotic recombination in three families, affecting two autosomal linkage groups and the putative neo-Y 1 /X 2 linkage group.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Microsatellites reveal male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci (Drosophilidae)

et al. 2006

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In drosophilid flies, male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation are rare. Following the genotyping of full-sib families with 20 microsatellite markers and subsequent cytological work, we found evidence of both male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation co-occurring in a drosophilid fly. Two autosomal loci, Sh29c and Sh90, showed aberrant segregation of male parental alleles. We describe how an autosomal fission followed by fusion of one of the autosomal fragments to the Y chromosome to create a Y1Y2X1X2/X1X1X2X2 sex determination system provides the most parsimonious explanation of the patterns we observe. Male recombination was observed in three families, including autosomal linkage groups and the Y1/X2 linkage group. In addition to the X1 linkage group, two autosomal linkage groups were identified.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Microsatellites reveal male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci (Drosophilidae)

et al. 2006

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“…This insect has long been considered to be a good target for a genetic control program (Scott et al 2004). Indeed, considerable effort was made to develop a ''field female killing system'' that was shown to be effective in reducing a L. cuprina island population in a large field trial (Davidson 1989;Foster et al 1991). The isolation of the Lctra gene will facilitate the development of genetically modified strains that would have certain advantages for genetic control programs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Development in Lucilia cuprina (Diptera, Calliphoridae) Is Controlled by the Transformer Gene

2009

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Insects use an amazing variety of genetic systems to control sexual development. A Y-linked male determining gene (M) controls sex in the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina, an important pest insect. In this study, we isolated the L. cuprina transformer (Lctra) and transformer2 (Lctra2) genes, which are potential targets of M. The LCTRA and LCTRA2 proteins are significantly more similar to homologs from tephritid insects than Drosophila. The Lctra transcript is alternatively spliced such that only females make a full-length protein and the presence of six TRA/TRA2 binding sites in the female first intron suggest that Lctra splicing is autoregulated as in tephritids. LCTRA is essential for female development as RNAi knockdown of Lctra mRNA leads to the development of male genitalia in XX adults. Analysis of Lctra expression during development shows that early and midstage male and female embryos express the female form of Lctra and males express only the male form by the first instar larval stage. Our results suggest that an autoregulatory loop sustains female development and that expression of M inhibits Lctra autoregulation, switching its splicing to the male form. The conservation of tra function and regulation in a Calliphorid insect shows that this sex determination system is not confined to Tephritidae. Isolation of these genes is an important step toward the development of a strain of L. cuprina suitable for a genetic control program.

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“…E-mail: max scott@ncsu.edu. promise in a large field trial on Flinders Island near Australia (Davidson 1989;Foster et al 1991). We have been working towards developing a transgenic strain of L. cuprina that would be ideal for a male-only SIT (sterile insect technique) programme (Scott et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation and sex-specific splicing of the doublesex gene in the economically important pest species Lucilia cuprina

Concha

Scott

2010

J Genet

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Genetic control of sex determination in insects has been best characterized in Drosophila melanogaster, where the master gene Sxl codes for RNA that is sex specifically spliced to produce a functional protein only in females. SXL regulates the sex-specific splicing of transformer (tra) RNA which, in turn, regulates the splicing of dsx RNA to produce functional male and female proteins. In the Australian sheep blowfly (Lucilia cuprina), the tra gene (Lctra) is required for female development and Lctra transcripts are sex-specifically spliced such that only female Lctra mRNA codes for functional protein. In males, a factor encoded by the Y-linked male determining gene is thought to prevent the female-mode of splicing of Lctra RNA. To further our understanding of the sex determination regulatory hierarchy in L. cuprina, we have isolated the dsx gene (Lcdsx) from this species. We found that the Lcdsx transcripts are sex-specifically spliced in a similar manner as their counterparts in D. melanogaster, housefly and tephritids. The LcDSX proteins are well conserved and the male form of DSX contains a motif encoded by a male-specific exon that is within the female-specific intron. This intron/exon arrangement had previously been found only in the housefly dsx gene, suggesting this may be a unique feature of dsx genes of Calyptratae species.

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Male crossing over and genetic sexing systems in the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina

Cited by 13 publications

References 30 publications

Microsatellites reveal male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci (Drosophilidae)

Microsatellites reveal male recombination and neo-sex chromosome formation in Scaptodrosophila hibisci (Drosophilidae)

Sexual Development in Lucilia cuprina (Diptera, Calliphoridae) Is Controlled by the Transformer Gene

Conservation and sex-specific splicing of the doublesex gene in the economically important pest species Lucilia cuprina

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