2nd Place: Sex-specific interactions of doublesex in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Insects have a diverse array of sex-determination mechanisms, each comprised of a complex genetic cascade that ultimately specifies male or female development. However diverse, all insects studied to date share a common gene at the bottom of these cascades known as Doublesex. Being a master regulator of sex-differentiation, Doublesex transcripts undergo alternative splicing to produce sexually dimorphic mRNAs that encode transcription factors that guide male- or female-specific gene expression patterns. In the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, male- and female-specific Doublesex appear to have common DNA-binding domains, indicating that sex-biased gene expression is the result of factors that bind the sex-specific oligomerization domains. Using protein pulldown assays and mass spectrometry, the identity of protein binding partners was elucidated. Furthermore, RNAi was used to validate the sex-differentiation role of these proteins. This study may ultimately result in new targets for inhibiting female development for use in sterile insect technique applications.