Verhulst Eveline C, van de Zande Louis
Brief Funct Genomics. 2015 Nov;14(6):396-406. doi: 10.1093/bfgp/elv005. Epub 2015 Mar 22.
In recent years, our knowledge of the conserved master-switch gene doublesex (dsx) and its function in regulating the development of dimorphic traits in insects has deepened considerably. Here, a comprehensive overview is given on the properties of the male- and female-specific dsx transcripts yielding DSX(F) and DSX(M) proteins in Drosophila melanogaster, and the many downstream targets that they regulate. As insects have cell-autonomous sex determination, it was assumed that dsx would be expressed in every somatic cell, but recent research showed that dsx is expressed only when a cell is required to show its sexual identity through function or morphology. This spatiotemporal regulation of dsx expression has not only been established in D. melanogaster but in all insect species studied. Gradually, it has been appreciated that dsx could no longer be viewed as the master-switch gene orchestrating sexual development and behaviour in each cell, but instead should be viewed as the interpreter for the sexual identity of the cell, expressing this identity only on request, making dsx the central nexus of insect sex determination.
近年来，我们对保守的主开关基因双性基因（doublesex，dsx）及其在调节昆虫两性性状发育中的功能的了解有了显著加深。本文全面概述了在黑腹果蝇中产生DSX（F）和DSX（M）蛋白的雄性和雌性特异性dsx转录本的特性，以及它们所调控的众多下游靶点。由于昆虫具有细胞自主性别决定机制，人们曾认为dsx会在每个体细胞中表达，但最近的研究表明，只有当细胞需要通过功能或形态表现出其性别特征时，dsx才会表达。dsx表达的这种时空调控不仅在黑腹果蝇中得到证实，在所有已研究的昆虫物种中也都存在。逐渐地，人们认识到dsx不再被视为在每个细胞中协调性别发育和行为的主开关基因，而应被视为细胞性别特征的诠释者，仅在需要时表达这种特征，使dsx成为昆虫性别决定的核心枢纽。
