sex-1 for Signal Element on X. sex-1 hermaphrodites are Dpy, Egl and Tra, males are wild type. Encodes predicted nuclear hormone receptor, gene F44A6.2,published as CNR14 by Kostrouch et al. (1995), aka nhr-24
sex-1 encodes a DNA-binding protein that is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of transcriptional regulators; during embryonic development, SEX-1 functions as an X chromosome signal element that transmits the primary sex-determination signal by negatively regulating transcription of xol-1, a gene whose expression levels correlate with hermaphrodite or male development (low xol-1 levels result in hermaphrodite development, high xol-1, in that of males); in vivo, SEX-1 can associate with extrachromosomal arrays containing the xol-1 promoter, indicating that SEX-1's affect on xol-1 transcription is likely to be direct; SEX-1 localizes to nuclei from oogenesis through mid-embryogenesis, with highest levels of expression visible during early gastrulation (28-100-cell-stage); the SEX-1 expression pattern appears to be similar in hermaphrodites and males.
Enables RNA polymerase II transcription regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding activity. Involved in primary sex determination and regulation of gene expression. Located in nucleus. Expressed in gonad; intestine; oocyte; and ventral uterine precursor. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease; artery disease (multiple); liver disease (multiple); and lung carcinoma (multiple). Is an ortholog of human NR1D1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 1) and NR1D2 (nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 2).