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Published on: July 13, 2013
A functional dosage compensation complex required for male killing in Drosophila
Zoe Veneti1, Joanna K Bentley, Takao Koana
1Biology Department, University College London, Wolfson House, 4 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HE, UK.
Abstract:
Bacteria that selectively kill males ("male-killers") were first characterized more than 50 years ago in Drosophila and have proved to be common in insects. However, the mechanism by which sex specificity of virulence is achieved has remained unknown. We tested the ability of Spiroplasma poulsonii to kill Drosophila melanogaster males carrying mutations in genes that encode the dosage compensation complex. The bacterium failed to kill males lacking any of the five protein components of the complex.
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