The Drosophila fruitless (fru) gene product Fru has been postulated to be a
neural sex-determination factor that directs the development of at least t
wo male-specific characteristics, namely courtship behaviour and formation
of the muscle of Lawrence (MOL). The fru gene encodes a putative transcript
ion factor with a BTB domain and two zinc-finger motifs, and with consensus
Tra-binding sequences. The binding of Tra to these sequences results in se
x-specific alternative splicing of the fru mRNA, leading to production of t
he 'male-type' or 'female-type' Fru protein. We show here that the Fru prot
ein is not detected in the female central nervous system (CNS), despite the
similar level of expression of fru mRNA in both male and female CNS. As ec
topic expression of both the 'male-type' (with the sequence for the aminote
rminal extension) and 'female-type' (without the sequence for the amino-ter
minal extension) fru cDNA can induce formation of the MOL in females, the p
resence or absence of the Fru protein, and not its sex-specific structure,
seems to be responsible for the sexually dimorphic actions of the fru gene.