Equality of the sexes: found in translation

Abstract

Male fruit flies (and humans) have half the number of X chromosomes that females have, yet the expression of X-linked proteins in males is the same because of a sex-specific compensatory mechanism. In this issue of Cell, report that a unique two-stage translation silencing mechanism thwarts synthesis of a male-specific transcription activator in female flies, ensuring that gene dosage compensation occurs only in males.