What occurs during a mutant him-8 C.elegans L4 stage that allows for male worms

Question

What occurs during a mutant him-8 C.elegans L4 stage that allows for male worms to arise from a self-fertilization of a hermaphrodite worm?

In my lab experiment, we specifically crossed an L4 stage hermaphrodite as opposed to its' adult form for a self-fertilization cross to follow the inheritance of a gene. Based on a punnett square, self-fertilization of an adult hermaphrodite would result in ALL hermaphrodite worms and no males. That was clearly not the case a lot of male worms resulted from the self-fertilization. I just want to know what occurs during the L4 stage of development that allows for hermaphrodites to give rise to male worms. Is it the fact that at the L4 stage, the hermaphrodites can still produce sperm? Explain in some detail, thank you.

Explanation / Answer

There occur a process for producing of a male worm from self fertilising hermaphrodite worm at L4 stage.There is a protein called Her-1 (secreted protein),this plays an important role to determine - what will be the progeny?a male or a hermaphrodite?

If the Her-1 binds with a membrane protein of C.elegans called Tra-2a(transmembrane receptor) then they both forms a complex.and that is how another protein in the cytosol called FEMS remains free and so FEMS can enter into nucleus and can bind with a protein called Tra-1a - which eventualy produces a male worm(XO).

But when the protein Her-1 is unable to bind with the membrane protein Tra-2a then the later binds with FEMS and then FEMS can not enter into nucleus and unable to bind with Tra-1a and that eventualy produces a hermaphrodite(XX).

FEMS are series of proteins including Fem-1,Fem-2,Fem-3.

Tra-1a is a transcriptional regulator ,if it is in a free state ,it will give rise to X chromosome and hermaphrodites will produce but if Tra-1a is in a binding state with FEMS then it gives rise to males.That is known as - X chromosome dosage compensation.

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