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. 2016 Jun 28;204(1):355–369. doi: 10.1534/genetics.116.190298

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Uncoupling X chromosome number from sex in C. elegans. (A) When comparing wild-type hermaphrodites and males, both sex and X chromosome dose differ. Previous studies used sex determination pathway (adapted from Zarkower 2006) mutations that uncouple sex from X dose by creating XX males and XO hermaphrodites (for details on the mutations, refer to the text). Briefly, in C. elegans, X chromosome dose regulates the xol-1 gene, which controls both sex determination and dosage compensation. In males, xol-1 represses the DCC and activates the male-determining gene her-1. In hermaphrodites, xol-1 is repressed, thus the DCC is activated and her-1 is repressed, activating the hermaphrodite pathway. The downstream pathway leads to tra-1, which encodes a transcription factor that represses male development. Mutant genes that create XX males and XO hermaphrodites are indicated. (B) Comparing mutant strains to wild-type males or hermaphrodites allows isolation of sex and X dose effect.