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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 May 9.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2014 Jun 14;33:3–9. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.06.007

Figure 2. The somatic sex determination pathway.

Figure 2.

tra-1 is the master regulator of sexual state in C. elegans: high tra-1 activity confers hermaphrodite state while low activity confers male state. tra-1 activity is controlled through a multistep genetic hierarchy that is initiated by the ratio of X chromosomes to autosomes. By altering tra-1 activity in a tissue- or cell-type-specific manner, animals with mosaic sexual states can be generated. Genetic feminization can be achieved by increasing tra-1 activity in males by expressing constitutively active forms of tra-2 or tra-1. Conversely, masculinization can be brought about by expression of fem-3, which inhibits tra-1 function.