# Doublesex

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Gene of insects

Doublesex Identifiers Organism Drosophila melanogaster Symbol dsx UniProt P23023 Search for Structures Swiss-model Domains InterPro

Alternative splicing of *dsx* pre-mRNA. Tra2 is a *transformer* protein; the gene is involved in the regulation of sex determination in many insects.[1]

***Doublesex*** (***dsx***) is a [gene](/source/Gene) that is involved in the [sex determination system](/source/Sex_determination_system) of many insects including the fruit fly *[Drosophila melanogaster](/source/Drosophila_melanogaster)*.

## Sex determination

The gene is [expressed](/source/Gene_expression) in both male and female flies and is subject to [alternative splicing](/source/Alternative_splicing), producing the [protein isoforms](/source/Protein_isoform) *dsxf* in females and the longer *dsxm* in males. The production of *dsxf* is caused by the presence of the female-specific version of the [*transformer*](/source/Transformer_(gene)) (*tra*) gene.[2]

In a sense, the isoform of *dsx* informs a cell about the organism's sex; for instance, female genitals only develop if *dsxf* is present. In conjunction with the gene *[fruitless](/source/Fruitless_(gene))*, *dsx* also causes differences in the brain structure and behavior of males and females.[3]

Although the details of sex determination differ in the various species, there is a gene related to *dsx* in [vertebrates](/source/Vertebrate) ([DMRT1](/source/DMRT1)) and in [nematodes](/source/Nematode) ([MAB-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MAB-3&action=edit&redlink=1)). All of these are [transcription factors](/source/Transcription_factor) with a [zinc finger](/source/Zinc_finger) [DNA-binding domain](/source/DNA-binding_domain) (known as the [DM domain](/source/DM_domain)) and are involved in sex-specific differentiation.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Verhulst EC, van de Zande L, Beukeboom LW (August 2010). ["Insect sex determination: it all evolves around transformer"](https://www.rug.nl/research/portal/en/publications/insect-sex-determination(2174764d-bd1b-4e1f-b142-90aced0c3e55).html). *Current Opinion in Genetics & Development*. **20** (4): 376–83. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.gde.2010.05.001](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.gde.2010.05.001). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[11370/2174764d-bd1b-4e1f-b142-90aced0c3e55](https://hdl.handle.net/11370%2F2174764d-bd1b-4e1f-b142-90aced0c3e55). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [20570131](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20570131). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [205003182](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:205003182).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Gilbert SF](/source/Scott_F._Gilbert) (2000), ["Chromosomal Sex Determination in *Drosophila*"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10025/), *Developmental Biology* (6 ed.), Sinauer Associates

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pmid20305646_3-0)** Rideout EJ, Dornan AJ, Neville MC, Eadie S, Goodwin SF (April 2010). ["Control of sexual differentiation and behavior by the *doublesex* gene in *Drosophila melanogaster*"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092424). *Nature Neuroscience*. **13** (4): 458–66. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/nn.2515](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fnn.2515). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3092424](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092424). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [20305646](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20305646). — Lay summary: ["'Doublesex' gene key to determining fruit fly gender"](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100321182913.htm). *[ScienceDaily](/source/ScienceDaily)*. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-05.

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