While the
mel-47 transcript was weakly detectable at all developmental stages by Northern blot analysis and quantitative Real Time PCR it was clearly enriched in adults. The
mel-47 mRNA level was also relatively high in embryos as expected for a maternally provided mRNA. Compared to wild type hermaphrodites
mel-47 mRNA was about ten times less abundant in strongly masculinized
tra-2(
ar221);
xol-1(
y9) adults and in true males. The expression of
mel-47 appears to be largely, if not fully, restricted to the germ line since in adult
glp-1(
q231) mutant hermaphrodites that lack a germ line,
mel-47 mRNA was barely detectable.