法国马赛大学Benjamin Prud’homme小组发现，基因转应可调控果蝇X连锁基因的性别偏向表达。相关论文发表在2021年1月22日出版的《科学》杂志上。

研究人员发现，果蝇Drosophila biarmipes基因yellow（位于X染色体）的雄性偏向翅膀表达模式与果蝇性别决定层次无关。相反，研究人员发现同源染色体上yellow等位基因之间的调节型相互作用（一种称为“基因转应”的过程）使翅膀中yellow增强子的功能沉默。因此，这种增强子可以在雄性（XY）中起作用，而在雌性（XX）中不起作用。这种基因转应依赖性增强子的沉默需要yellow内含子和染色质结构蛋白Mod（mdg4）。

这些结果表明，基因转应可以更普遍地促进X连锁基因的性别偏向表达。

据介绍，动物的性别二态性是由性别偏向的基因表达模式引起的。这些模式由建立个体性别的遗传性别确定层次所控制。

附：英文原文

Title: Transvection regulates the sex-biased expression of a fly X-linked gene

Author: Charalampos Chrysovalantis Galouzis, Benjamin Prud’homme

Issue&Volume: 2021/01/22

Abstract: Sexual dimorphism in animals results from sex-biased gene expression patterns. These patterns are controlled by genetic sex determination hierarchies that establish the sex of an individual. Here we show that the male-biased wing expression pattern of the Drosophila biarmipes gene yellow, located on the X chromosome, is independent of the fly sex determination hierarchy. Instead, we find that a regulatory interaction between yellow alleles on homologous chromosomes (a process known as transvection) silences the activity of a yellow enhancer functioning in the wing. Therefore, this enhancer can be active in males (XY) but not in females (XX). This transvection-dependent enhancer silencing requires the yellow intron and the chromatin architecture protein Mod(mdg4). Our results suggest that transvection can contribute more generally to the sex-biased expression of X-linked genes.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abc2745

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6527/396