Stage-specific differences in the requirements for germline stem cell maintenance in the Drosophila ovary.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 18213359.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.stem.2007.11.007 and PMC identifier 2211735.
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Abstract
In this study, we uncover a role for microRNAs in Drosophila germline stem cell (GSC) maintenance. Disruption of Dicer-1 function in GSCs during adult life results in GSC loss. Surprisingly, however, loss of Dicer-1 during development does not result in a GSC maintenance defect, although a defect is seen if both Dicer-1 and Dicer-2 function are disrupted. Loss of the bantam microRNA mimics the Dicer-1 maintenance defect when induced in adult GSCs, suggesting that bantam plays a key role in GSC self-renewal. Mad, a component of the TGF-beta pathway, behaves similarly to Dicer-1: adult GSC maintenance requires Mad if it is lost during adult life, but not if it is lost during pupal development. Overall, these results show stage-specific differential sensitivity of GSC maintenance to certain perturbations, and suggest that there may be Dcr-2 dependent redundancy of GSC maintenance mechanisms during development that is lost in later life.
Medical subject headings
- Drosophila
- Drosophila Proteins
- Germ Cells
- MicroRNAs
- Ovary
- RNA Helicases