Sex Determination in Drosophila

Arun M. Chilke
Department of Zoology, Division of Toxicology and Biomonitoring, Shree Shivaji Arts, Commerce and Science College, Rajura-442905 (India) Email: achilke.2011@rediffmail.com Web: www.sscollegerajura.org

Introduction
Drosophila melanogaster is a fruit fly or vinegar fly belongs to order-Diptera. This species is a model organism for the study of developmental biology, physiology and genetics. However immense study has been carried on D. melanogaster in the field of genetics and hence it is named as Cinderella of Genetics. Importantly this organism exhibit sexual dimorphism and its life span is of short duration. Moreover it has short developmental period. Therefore, this animal is quite suitable for studying the several couple of generation. It has been good study material in the hands of biologist.

Sexual Dimorphism
Male and female in the population of Drosophila melanogaster can be easily recognized on the basis of external features. And the character on The basis of which the sexes can be differentiated is called sexual dimorphic characters. In general both the male and female are having Brick red color eyes and consists of black rings across the abdomen. Male is smaller than the female. Male has characteristically sex-comb and the reproducing parts are surrounded by cluster of spiky hairs (claspers).

Male Drosophila

Female Drosophila

Chromosomes

Male Karyotype

Female Karyotype

Haploid Set (Genome)

Sum four chromosomes together constitute genome of D. melanogaster. It is a diploid organism and hence total number of chromosome in normal individual are eight. Thus they consists of four pair of chromosomes. Out of these three pair is of autosome and one pair belongs to heterosome or sex chromosome. Male in heterozygous and contain X and Ychromosomes. Female is homozygous and contain both the X chromosome.

Role of Chromosome in Sex determination

Autosome and express somatic characters whereas the heterosome express sexual characters. In the female X-chromosome is very important as it expresses the feminine characters. But the Ychromosome does not express the masculine character in the male. It is known that in the D. melanogaster masculine character is almost and always determined by autosome. It means there is no role in the determination of sex by Y-chromosome. But for the survival of male the presence of Y-chromosome is must. In the male and female the sex is determine by the ration between autosome to the X-chromosome which can be well explained by Genic Balance Mechanism (C.B.Bridges).

When a normal female with genotype (2A+XX) is allowed to cross with normal male with genotype (2A+XY) the normal male and female is produce.
Female (2A+XX) X Male (2A+XY)

Gametes

A+X

(2A+XX) Female

(2A+XY) Male

Female

Male

Parents

Gametes

Offspring's

Formation of Triploid Female

Sometime the diploid female lay the abnormal eggs due to non-disjunction. Non-disjunction is the process during which chromosomes fail to separate precisely. Unfortunately the whole set of chromosome enter into a gamete (diploid gamete) and other gamete do not receive any chromosomes. If such diploid egg get fertilized by normal haploid male the triploid female is produce.

Female (2A+XY)

Male (2A+XX)

Non-disjunction 2A+XX

Gametes

(3A+XXX) Triploid Female

Female Parents

Male

Nondisjunction Normal Gametogenesis

Gametes

Triploid Female

Genic Balance Mechanism

In Drosophila melanogaster sex is determined by autosome and X-chromosome. Autosomes are responsible to determine the male sex and X-chromosome female. Ychromosome is inert in the determination of male sex but its presence is must for the survival of male itself. The ration (X/A) of X-chromosome to the autosomes (A) determine the sexes both the male and female. But it the ration is equals to 1 then it produces the female and 0.5 produce the male. However, above 1 produces the superfemale and below 0.5 produce the super-male. When the ratio is between 1 and 0.5 it produces the intersexes.

X/A = 1 is Female X/A= 0.5 is Male

X/A> 0.5 is super-male

X/A< 1 is super-female And when X/A is in between 1 and 0.5 then it is Intersexes.

Triple X-Female (3A+XXX)

Diploid Male

(2A+XY)

(2A+XX) (A+X)

(A+XX)

(2A+X)

(A+X)

(A+Y)
Female Male

Female Gamete's (Four typed)

2A+XX 3A+XXX Triploid female 3A+XXY Intersexes

A+X 2A+XX Diploid female 2A+XY Normal male

A+XX 2A+XXX Superfemale 2A+XXY Female

2A+X 3A+XX Intersexes 3A+XY Supermale

Gametes A+X
Male Gamete's (Two type)

A+Y

Eight Genotypically different Individuals are obtained in the Cross between Triploid Female and Diploid male
Triploid Female Diploid female

Super-female

Intersexes

Intersexes

Normal male

Female

Super-male

2A+XY
Balance not inclined Towards maleness

2A+XX
Balance inclined Towards femaleness

Schematic Presentation of Genic Balance Mechanism

Triploid Female or Meta-female

Triploid female is genotypically abnormal and phenotypically appear normal like diploid female. However she is fertile and there are maximum chances to produce four different types of gametes. It produce normal and abnormal offsprings with inter sexes, super male, super female, triploid female, normal male and normal female.

Intersexes
Drosophila with an intersexes genotype ratio express the phenotype of male and female sexes. May possesses sex comb, genitalia which show a mixture of male and female parts (have 1 ovary and 1 testis).

Supersexes
Super male: It is similar to male in their phenotype but having lowered viability, notched wings, disturbed wing veins and bristle patterns. They are sterile. Super female: Similar to normal female but having low viability, notched wings, disturbed wing vein and bristle patterns. They are also sterile.