Two C. elegans DM domain proteins, DMD-3 and MAB-3, function in late stages of male somatic gonad development.

To bring about sexual dimorphism in form, information from the sex determination pathway must trigger sex-specific modifications in developmental programs. DM-domain encoding genes have been found to be involved in sex determination in a multitude of animals, often at the level of male somatic gonad formation. Here we report our findings that the DM-domain transcription factors MAB-3 and DMD-3 function together in multiple steps during the late stages of C.

The novel gene, , is expressed downstream of MAB-3 and DMD-3 in the male tail tip at the termination of male tail tip retraction.

The development of the adult male tail involves an extensive remodeling during the last larval stage where the pointed tail of the L4 male is converted into the blunt-ended adult tail with its collection of mechano-sensitive rays. The first step in this remodeling is the retraction of the four hypodermal cells of the tail tip to generate the blunt-ended tail. Male tail tip retraction is an excellent model for characterizing how upstream regulatory networks interact with the downstream cell biological effectors that drive morphogenetic changes in all animals.