| NSF Org: |
MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | September 7, 1990 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 12, 1992 |
| Award Number: | 9004042 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
DeLill Nasser
MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 1990 |
| End Date: | August 31, 1993 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $285,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $285,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 1991 = $95,000.00 FY 1992 = $95,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
10900 EUCLID AVE CLEVELAND OH US 44106-4901 (216)368-4510 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
EUKARYOTIC GENETICS, SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
Our long term goal is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic control of sexual development in Drosophila. Because many of the genes in the sex determination pathway are regulated by RNA processing, these studies will also contribute to our understanding of alternative RNA splicing as a means of gene regulation. Our research is focused on the sans-fille (snf) gene. Genetic studies suggest that snf plays a key role in the sexual decision making process in both the germline and the soma. To further our understanding of this newly identified gene we propose: 1) To determine whether snf is required only for sex determination or whether it has a more generalized function in development by analyzing null alleles of the locus. 2) To initiate a detailed molecular characterization of the snf gene and its products and 3) To place snf in the regulatory hierarchy of sex determination genes by a combined molecular and genetic approach. In the fruit fly Drosophila individuals with an X and a Y chromosome develop into males and those with 2X chromosomes develop into females. The decision of which developmental pathway to adopt is made during embryonic life by every cell in the body of the embryo. We have known since the early years of this century that the cells make their decision by counting the number of X chromosomes they contain, but it is only over the past decade that more of the details of the mechanism by which the decision is made have been elucidated. This is a proposal to study a recently discovered early step in this mechanism.
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