Department of Biology, Colby College, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA.
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Feb 8;290(1992):20222083. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2083. Epub 2023 Feb 1.
Sexual dimorphism is common in animals. The most complete model of sex determination comes from , where the relative dosage of autosomes and X chromosomes leads indirectly to sex-specific transcripts of (). Female Dsx interacts with a mediator complex protein encoded by () to activate female development. In males, the transcription factor encoded by () promotes male-specific behaviour. The genetics of sex determination have been examined in a small number of other insects, yet several questions remain about the plesiomorphic state. Is required for female and male development? Is conserved in male behaviour or morphology? Are other components such as functionally conserved? To address these questions, we report expression and functional tests of , and in the hemipteran , characterizing three sexual dimorphisms. prevents phenotypes in all sexes and dimorphic traits in the milkweed bug. and are expressed across the body, in females and males. and also affect the genitalia of both sexes, but have effects limited to different dimorphic structures in different sexes. These results reveal roles for and distinct from other insects, and demonstrate distinct development mechanisms in different sexually dimorphic structures.
性二型是动物界的普遍现象。最完整的性别决定模型来自果蝇，在这里，常染色体和 X 染色体的相对剂量间接导致性别特异性转录本的表达。雌性 Dsx 与由（）编码的中介复合物蛋白相互作用，激活雌性发育。在雄性中，由（）编码的转录因子促进雄性特有的行为。性决定的遗传学在少数其他昆虫中进行了研究，但关于祖征状态仍有几个问题悬而未决。（）是否对雌性和雄性发育都是必需的？（）是否在雄性行为或形态上保守？是否有其他功能保守的成分，如（）？为了解决这些问题，我们报告了半翅目昆虫盲蝽中（）、（）和（）的表达和功能测试，描述了三个性别二态性。（）阻止了所有性别和乳草盲蝽的二态性特征的表型。（）和（）在整个身体中表达，在雌性和雄性中都有表达。（）和（）也影响两性的生殖器，但对不同性别的不同二态性结构有不同的影响。这些结果揭示了（）和（）在其他昆虫中的作用不同，并证明了不同的性别二态性结构具有不同的发育机制。
