In molecular biology, Sphinx (spx) is a long non-coding RNA found in Drosophila. It is expressed in the brain, within the antennal lobe and inner antennocerebral tract.1 It is involved in the regulation of male courtship behaviour, this may be via olfactory neuron mediated regulation. Sphinx may act as a negative regulator of target genes.12 It is a chimeric gene, originating from a retroposed sequence of the ATP synthase chain F gene from chromosome 2 to chromosome 4. Nearby sequences were recruited to form an intron and an exon of this chimeric gene.3
References
References
- Chen, Y.; Dai, H.; Chen, S.; Zhang, L.; Long, M. (2011). Kango-Singh, Madhuri (ed.). "Highly Tissue Specific Expression of Sphinx Supports Its Male Courtship Related Role in Drosophila melanogaster". PLOS ONE. 6 (4) e18853. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...618853C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018853. PMC 3082539. PMID 21541324.
- Dai, H.; Chen, Y.; Chen, S.; Mao, Q.; Kennedy, D.; Landback, P.; Eyre-Walker, A.; Du, W.; Long, M. (2008). "The evolution of courtship behaviors through the origination of a new gene in Drosophila". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (21): 7478–7483. Bibcode:2008PNAS..105.7478D. doi:10.1073/pnas.0800693105. PMC 2396706. PMID 18508971.
- Wang, W.; Brunet, F. G.; Nevo, E.; Long, M. (2002). "Origin of sphinx, a young chimeric RNA gene in Drosophilamelanogaster". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 99 (7): 4448–4453. Bibcode:2002PNAS...99.4448W. doi:10.1073/pnas.072066399. PMC 123668. PMID 11904380.