1
|
Gomez A, Gonzalez S, Oke A, Luo J, Duong JB, Esquerra RM, Zimmerman T, Capponi S, Fung JC, Nystul TG. A High-Throughput Method for Quantifying Drosophila Fecundity. TOXICS 2024; 12:658. [PMID: 39330586 PMCID: PMC11436201 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12090658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an experimentally tractable model system that has recently emerged as a powerful "new approach methodology" (NAM) for chemical safety testing. As oogenesis is well conserved at the molecular and cellular level, measurements of Drosophila fecundity can be useful for identifying chemicals that affect reproductive health across species. However, standard Drosophila fecundity assays have been difficult to perform in a high-throughput manner because experimental factors such as the physiological state of the flies and environmental cues must be carefully controlled to achieve consistent results. In addition, exposing flies to a large number of different experimental conditions (such as chemical additives in the diet) and manually counting the number of eggs laid to determine the impact on fecundity is time-consuming. We have overcome these challenges by combining a new multiwell fly culture strategy with a novel 3D-printed fly transfer device to rapidly and accurately transfer flies from one plate to another, the RoboCam, a low-cost, custom-built robotic camera to capture images of the wells automatically, and an image segmentation pipeline to automatically identify and quantify eggs. We show that this method is compatible with robust and consistent egg laying throughout the assay period and demonstrate that the automated pipeline for quantifying fecundity is very accurate (r2 = 0.98 for the correlation between the automated egg counts and the ground truth). In addition, we show that this method can be used to efficiently detect the effects on fecundity induced by dietary exposure to chemicals. Taken together, this strategy substantially increases the efficiency and reproducibility of high-throughput egg-laying assays that require exposing flies to multiple different media conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreana Gomez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sergio Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ashwini Oke
- OB/GYN Department, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Jiayu Luo
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Johnny B. Duong
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Raymond M. Esquerra
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Thomas Zimmerman
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA 95120, USA
| | - Sara Capponi
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA 95120, USA
| | - Jennifer C. Fung
- OB/GYN Department, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- San Francisco EaRTH Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Todd G. Nystul
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- OB/GYN Department, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- San Francisco EaRTH Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kotb NM, Ulukaya G, Chavan A, Nguyen SC, Proskauer L, Joyce EF, Hasson D, Jagannathan M, Rangan P. Genome organization regulates nuclear pore complex formation and promotes differentiation during Drosophila oogenesis. Genes Dev 2024; 38:436-454. [PMID: 38866556 PMCID: PMC11216175 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351402.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Genome organization can regulate gene expression and promote cell fate transitions. The differentiation of germline stem cells (GSCs) to oocytes in Drosophila involves changes in genome organization mediated by heterochromatin and the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Heterochromatin represses germ cell genes during differentiation, and NPCs anchor these silenced genes to the nuclear periphery, maintaining silencing to allow for oocyte development. Surprisingly, we found that genome organization also contributes to NPC formation, mediated by the transcription factor Stonewall (Stwl). As GSCs differentiate, Stwl accumulates at boundaries between silenced and active gene compartments. Stwl at these boundaries plays a pivotal role in transitioning germ cell genes into a silenced state and activating a group of oocyte genes and nucleoporins (Nups). The upregulation of these Nups during differentiation is crucial for NPC formation and further genome organization. Thus, cross-talk between genome architecture and NPCs is essential for successful cell fate transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noor M Kotb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Wadsworth Center, University at Albany State University of New York (SUNY), Albany, New York 12202, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York 12202, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NewYork 10029, USA
| | - Gulay Ulukaya
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NewYork 10029, USA
- Bioinformatics for Next-Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Core, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Ankita Chavan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Son C Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Lydia Proskauer
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, New York 12202, USA
| | - Eric F Joyce
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Dan Hasson
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NewYork 10029, USA
- Bioinformatics for Next-Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) Core, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Madhav Jagannathan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Prashanth Rangan
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NewYork 10029, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gomez A, Gonzalez S, Oke A, Luo J, Duong JB, Esquerra RM, Zimmerman T, Capponi S, Fung JC, Nystul TG. A high-throughput method for quantifying Drosophila fecundity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.27.587093. [PMID: 38585877 PMCID: PMC10996622 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.27.587093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Measurements of Drosophila fecundity are used in a wide variety of studies, such as investigations of stem cell biology, nutrition, behavior, and toxicology. In addition, because fecundity assays are performed on live flies, they are suitable for longitudinal studies such as investigations of aging or prolonged chemical exposure. However, standard Drosophila fecundity assays have been difficult to perform in a high-throughput manner because experimental factors such as the physiological state of the flies and environmental cues must be carefully controlled to achieve consistent results. In addition, exposing flies to a large number of different experimental conditions (such as chemical additives in the diet) and manually counting the number of eggs laid to determine the impact on fecundity is time-consuming. We have overcome these challenges by combining a new multiwell fly culture strategy with a novel 3D-printed fly transfer device to rapidly and accurately transfer flies from one plate to another; the RoboCam, a low-cost, custom built robotic camera to capture images of the wells automatically; and an image segmentation pipeline to automatically identify and quantify eggs. We show that this method is compatible with robust and consistent egg laying throughout the assay period; and demonstrate that the automated pipeline for quantifying fecundity is very accurate (r2 = 0.98 for the correlation between the automated egg counts and the ground truth) In addition, we show that this method can be used to efficiently detect the effects on fecundity induced by dietary exposure to chemicals. Taken together, this strategy substantially increases the efficiency and reproducibility of high throughput egg laying assays that require exposing flies to multiple different media conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreana Gomez
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Anatomy
| | - Sergio Gonzalez
- San Francisco State University, Department of Biology
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
| | - Ashwini Oke
- San Francisco State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Francisco, OB/GYN Department
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA; University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Sciences
| | - Jiayu Luo
- San Francisco State University, Department of Biology
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
| | - Johnny B Duong
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
- San Francisco State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Francisco, OB/GYN Department
| | - Raymond M Esquerra
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
- San Francisco State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Francisco, OB/GYN Department
| | - Thomas Zimmerman
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA; University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Sciences
| | - Sara Capponi
- Center for Cellular Construction, San Francisco, CA
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA; University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Sciences
| | - Jennifer C Fung
- San Francisco State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Francisco, OB/GYN Department
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA; University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Sciences
- University of California, San Francisco EaRTH Center
| | - Todd G Nystul
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Anatomy
- San Francisco State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Francisco, OB/GYN Department
- IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA; University of California, San Francisco, Center for Reproductive Sciences
- University of California, San Francisco EaRTH Center
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sadanandappa MK, Bosco G. Parasitoid cues modulate Drosophila germline development and stem cell proliferation. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113657. [PMID: 38175752 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors influence an organism's reproductive ability by regulating germline development and physiology. While the reproductive adaptations in response to extrinsic stress cues offer fitness and survival advantages to individuals, the mechanistic understanding of these modifications remains unclear. Here, we find that parasitoid wasps' stress signaling regulates Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis. We show that fruit flies dwelling in the wasp-infested area elevate their fecundity, and the observed reproductive response is specific to Pachycrepoideus sp., a pupal parasitoid wasp. Pachycrepoideus-specific olfactory and visual cues recruit the signaling pathways that promote germline stem cell proliferation and accelerate follicle development, increasing egg production in Drosophila females. Downregulation of signaling engaged in oocyte development by shifting flies to a non-wasp-infested environment increases apoptosis of the developing follicles. Thus, this study establishes host germline responsiveness to parasitoid-specific signals and supports a predator strategy to increase hosts for infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madhumala K Sadanandappa
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Giovanni Bosco
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Berg C, Sieber M, Sun J. Finishing the egg. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad183. [PMID: 38000906 PMCID: PMC10763546 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamete development is a fundamental process that is highly conserved from early eukaryotes to mammals. As germ cells develop, they must coordinate a dynamic series of cellular processes that support growth, cell specification, patterning, the loading of maternal factors (RNAs, proteins, and nutrients), differentiation of structures to enable fertilization and ensure embryonic survival, and other processes that make a functional oocyte. To achieve these goals, germ cells integrate a complex milieu of environmental and developmental signals to produce fertilizable eggs. Over the past 50 years, Drosophila oogenesis has risen to the forefront as a system to interrogate the sophisticated mechanisms that drive oocyte development. Studies in Drosophila have defined mechanisms in germ cells that control meiosis, protect genome integrity, facilitate mRNA trafficking, and support the maternal loading of nutrients. Work in this system has provided key insights into the mechanisms that establish egg chamber polarity and patterning as well as the mechanisms that drive ovulation and egg activation. Using the power of Drosophila genetics, the field has begun to define the molecular mechanisms that coordinate environmental stresses and nutrient availability with oocyte development. Importantly, the majority of these reproductive mechanisms are highly conserved throughout evolution, and many play critical roles in the development of somatic tissues as well. In this chapter, we summarize the recent progress in several key areas that impact egg chamber development and ovulation. First, we discuss the mechanisms that drive nutrient storage and trafficking during oocyte maturation and vitellogenesis. Second, we examine the processes that regulate follicle cell patterning and how that patterning impacts the construction of the egg shell and the establishment of embryonic polarity. Finally, we examine regulatory factors that control ovulation, egg activation, and successful fertilization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Berg
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5065 USA
| | - Matthew Sieber
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390 USA
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Suyama R, Cetraro N, Yew JY, Kai T. Microbes control Drosophila germline stem cell increase and egg maturation through hormonal pathways. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1287. [PMID: 38123715 PMCID: PMC10733356 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05660-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is highly dependent on environmental and physiological factors including nutrition, mating stimuli and microbes. Among these factors, microbes facilitate vital functions for host animals such as nutritional intake, metabolic regulation, and enhancing fertility under poor nutrition conditions. However, detailed molecular mechanisms by which microbes control germline maturation, leading to reproduction, remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that environmental microbes exert a beneficial effect on Drosophila oogenesis by promoting germline stem cell (GSC) proliferation and subsequent egg maturation via acceleration of ovarian cell division and suppression of apoptosis. Moreover, insulin-related signaling is not required; rather, the ecdysone pathway is necessary for microbe-induced increase of GSCs and promotion of egg maturation, while juvenile hormone contributes only to increasing GSC numbers, suggesting that hormonal pathways are activated at different stages of oogenesis. Our findings reveal that environmental microbes can enhance host reproductivity by modulating host hormone release and promoting oogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ritsuko Suyama
- Laboratory of Germline Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Nicolas Cetraro
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1993 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Toshie Kai
- Laboratory of Germline Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kotb NM, Ulukaya G, Chavan A, Nguyen SC, Proskauer L, Joyce E, Hasson D, Jagannathan M, Rangan P. Genome organization regulates nuclear pore complex formation and promotes differentiation during Drosophila oogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.15.567233. [PMID: 38014330 PMCID: PMC10680722 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.15.567233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Genome organization can regulate gene expression and promote cell fate transitions. The differentiation of germline stem cells (GSCs) to oocytes in Drosophila involves changes in genome organization mediated by heterochromatin and the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Heterochromatin represses germ-cell genes during differentiation and NPCs anchor these silenced genes to the nuclear periphery, maintaining silencing to allow for oocyte development. Surprisingly, we find that genome organization also contributes to NPC formation, mediated by the transcription factor Stonewall (Stwl). As GSCs differentiate, Stwl accumulates at boundaries between silenced and active gene compartments. Stwl at these boundaries plays a pivotal role in transitioning germ-cell genes into a silenced state and activating a group of oocyte genes and Nucleoporins (Nups). The upregulation of these Nups during differentiation is crucial for NPC formation and further genome organization. Thus, crosstalk between genome architecture and NPCs is essential for successful cell fate transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noor M. Kotb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences/Wadsworth Center, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY 12202
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY 12202
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Gulay Ulukaya
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Tisch Cancer Institute Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) core
| | - Ankita Chavan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich
| | - Son C. Nguyen
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Lydia Proskauer
- Department of Biological Sciences/RNA Institute, University at Albany SUNY, Albany, NY 12202
- Current address: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003
| | - Eric Joyce
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Dan Hasson
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Tisch Cancer Institute Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing (BiNGS) core
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madhav Jagannathan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich
| | - Prashanth Rangan
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sperling AL, Fabian DK, Garrison E, Glover DM. A genetic basis for facultative parthenogenesis in Drosophila. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3545-3560.e13. [PMID: 37516115 PMCID: PMC11044649 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Facultative parthenogenesis enables sexually reproducing organisms to switch between sexual and asexual parthenogenetic reproduction. To gain insights into this phenomenon, we sequenced the genomes of sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic strains of Drosophila mercatorum and identified differences in the gene expression in their eggs. We then tested whether manipulating the expression of candidate gene homologs identified in Drosophila mercatorum could lead to facultative parthenogenesis in the non-parthenogenetic species Drosophila melanogaster. This identified a polygenic system whereby increased expression of the mitotic protein kinase polo and decreased expression of a desaturase, Desat2, caused facultative parthenogenesis in the non-parthenogenetic species that was enhanced by increased expression of Myc. The genetically induced parthenogenetic Drosophila melanogaster eggs exhibit de novo centrosome formation, fusion of the meiotic products, and the onset of development to generate predominantly triploid offspring. Thus, we demonstrate a genetic basis for sporadic facultative parthenogenesis in an animal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis L Sperling
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Daniel K Fabian
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Erik Garrison
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, S Manassas Street, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - David M Glover
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lovegrove MR, Dearden PK, Duncan EJ. Honeybee queen mandibular pheromone induces a starvation response in Drosophila melanogaster. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 154:103908. [PMID: 36657589 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2023.103908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Eusocial insect societies are defined by the reproductive division of labour, a social structure that is generally enforced by the reproductive dominant(s) or 'queen(s)'. Reproductive dominance is maintained through behavioural dominance or production of queen pheromones, or a mixture of both. Queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) is a queen pheromone produced by queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) which represses reproduction in worker honeybees. How QMP acts to repress worker reproduction, the mechanisms by which this repression is induced, and how it has evolved this activity, remain poorly understood. Surprisingly, QMP is capable of repressing reproduction in non-target arthropods. Here we show that in Drosophila melanogaster QMP treatment mimics the starvation response, disrupting reproduction. QMP exposure induces an increase in food consumption and activation of checkpoints in the ovary that reduce fecundity and depresses insulin signalling. The magnitude of these effects is indistinguishable between QMP-treated and starved individuals. As QMP triggers a starvation response in an insect diverged from honeybees, we propose that QMP originally evolved by co-opting nutrition signalling pathways to regulate reproduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie R Lovegrove
- Genomics Aotearoa and Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, Aotearoa, New Zealand; School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Peter K Dearden
- Genomics Aotearoa and Biochemistry Department, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, Aotearoa, New Zealand.
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zajac AL, Williams AM, Horne-Badovinac S. A Low-Tech Flow Chamber for Live Imaging of Drosophila Egg Chambers During Drug Treatments. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2626:277-289. [PMID: 36715910 PMCID: PMC11232113 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2970-3_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila egg chamber is a powerful system to study epithelial cell collective migration and polarized basement membrane secretion. A strength of this system is the ability to capture these dynamic processes in ex vivo organ culture using high-resolution live imaging. Ex vivo culture also allows acute pharmacological or labeling treatments, extending the versatility of the system. However, many current ex vivo egg chamber culture setups do not permit easy medium exchange, preventing researchers from following individual egg chambers through multiple treatments. Here we present a method to immobilize egg chambers in an easy-to-construct flow chamber that permits imaging of the same egg chamber through repeated solution exchanges. This will allow researchers to take greater advantage of the wide variety of available pharmacological perturbations and other treatments like dyes to study dynamic processes in the egg chamber.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison L Zajac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audrey Miller Williams
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sally Horne-Badovinac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Anderson MT, Sherrard K, Horne-Badovinac S. Optimized Fixation and Phalloidin Staining of Basally Localized F-Actin Networks in Collectively Migrating Follicle Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2626:179-191. [PMID: 36715905 PMCID: PMC11229081 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2970-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The follicular epithelial cells of the Drosophila egg chamber have become a premier model to study how cells globally orient their actin-based machinery for collective migration. The basal surface of each follicle cell has lamellipodial and filopodial protrusions that extend from its leading edge and an array of stress fibers that mediate its adhesion to the extracellular matrix; these migratory structures are all globally aligned in the direction of tissue movement. To understand how this global alignment is achieved, one must be able to reliably visualize the underlying F-actin; however, dynamic F-actin networks can be difficult to preserve in fixed tissues. Here, we describe an optimized protocol for the fixation and phalloidin staining of the follicular epithelium. We also provide a brief primer on relevant aspects of the image acquisition process to ensure high quality data are collected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell T Anderson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kristin Sherrard
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sally Horne-Badovinac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Wang XP, Huang Z, Li YL, Jin KY, Dong DJ, Wang JX, Zhao XF. Krüppel-like factor 15 integrated autophagy and gluconeogenesis to maintain glucose homeostasis under 20-hydroxyecdysone regulation. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010229. [PMID: 35696369 PMCID: PMC9191741 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The regulation of glycometabolism homeostasis is vital to maintain health and development of animal and humans; however, the molecular mechanisms by which organisms regulate the glucose metabolism homeostasis from a feeding state switching to a non-feeding state are not fully understood. Using the holometabolous lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera, cotton bollworm, as a model, we revealed that the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) upregulated the expression of transcription factor Krüppel-like factor (identified as Klf15) to promote macroautophagy/autophagy, apoptosis and gluconeogenesis during metamorphosis. 20E via its nuclear receptor EcR upregulated Klf15 transcription in the fat body during metamorphosis. Knockdown of Klf15 using RNA interference delayed pupation and repressed autophagy and apoptosis of larval fat body during metamorphosis. KLF15 promoted autophagic flux and transiting to apoptosis. KLF15 bound to the KLF binding site (KLF bs) in the promoter of Atg8 (autophagy-related gene 8/LC3) to upregulate Atg8 expression. Knockdown Atg8 reduced free fatty acids (FFAs), glycerol, free amino acids (FAAs) and glucose levels. However, knockdown of Klf15 accumulated FFAs, glycerol, and FAAs. Glycolysis was switched to gluconeogenesis, trehalose and glycogen synthesis were changed to degradation during metamorphosis, which were accompanied by the variation of the related genes expression. KLF15 upregulated phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Pepck) expression by binding to KLF bs in the Pepck promoter for gluconeogenesis, which utilised FFAs, glycerol, and FAAs directly or indirectly to increase glucose in the hemolymph. Taken together, 20E via KLF15 integrated autophagy and gluconeogenesis by promoting autophagy-related and gluconeogenesis-related genes expression. Glucose is the direct substrate for energy production in animal and humans. Autophagy and gluconeogenesis are known to help organisms maintaining energy substrates; however, the mechanism of integration of autophagy and gluconeogenesis is unclear. Holometabolous insects stop feeding during metamorphosis under steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) regulation, providing a good model for the study. Using lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera, cotton bollworm, as a model, we revealed that Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) integrated autophagy and gluconeogenesis to maintain glucose homeostasis under 20E regulation. 20E increased Klf15 expression, and KLF15 in turn promoted autophagy-related and gluconeogenesis-related genes expression during metamorphosis. Autophagy and apoptosis of the fat body provided substrates for gluconeogenesis. This work clarified the important functions and mechanisms of KLF15 in autophagy and glycometabolism reprogramming for glucose homeostasis after feeding stop during insect metamorphosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Pei Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhen Huang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan-Li Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ke-Yan Jin
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Du-Juan Dong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Xing Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chung CY, Shigenobu S. Reproductive constraint in the social aphid Ceratovacuna japonica: Sterility regulation in the soldier caste of a viviparous insect. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 145:103756. [PMID: 35367587 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Differentiation of the non-reproductive caste is a unique feature of eusocial insects. Apoptosis in oocytes plays a major role in constraining the reproductivity of the eusocial insects including bees, ants, and termites. However, the regulation of reproductive constraint in non-reproductives of primitively eusocial insects other than hymenopterans and blattodeans is almost unknown. Here, we investigated the soldier sterility in a hemipteran insect, the social aphid Ceratovacuna japonica. We compared the gonads of soldiers, that are completely sterile, with those of reproductives in their viviparous development. We found that soldiers possess a pair of ovaries and the same number of germaria as reproductives, but soldiers' ovarioles were small and lacking gastrulating embryos. Unlike in most model social insects, the staining of cleaved Caspase-3 showed apoptosis in the maternal nutritive cells, rather in the oocyte, of soldier ovaries. In addition, the ubiquitous C. japonica vasa1 and piwi2a expression indicates the developmental failure of embryos in soldier ovaries. The absence of posterior nos1, an insect posterior determinant, indicates deficient posterior patterning in soldier ovarioles. Our findings suggest a different mode of reproductive constraint, which regulates both oogenesis and embryogenesis in a viviparous insect ovary. This is the first report of the reproductive constraint in a viviparous social insect at the molecular level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yo Chung
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585, Aichi, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Allen SR, Stewart RK, Rogers M, Ruiz IJ, Cohen E, Laederach A, Counter CM, Sawyer JK, Fox DT. Distinct responses to rare codons in select Drosophila tissues. eLife 2022; 11:e76893. [PMID: 35522036 PMCID: PMC9116940 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Codon usage bias has long been appreciated to influence protein production. Yet, relatively few studies have analyzed the impacts of codon usage on tissue-specific mRNA and protein expression. Here, we use codon-modified reporters to perform an organism-wide screen in Drosophila melanogaster for distinct tissue responses to codon usage bias. These reporters reveal a cliff-like decline of protein expression near the limit of rare codon usage in endogenously expressed Drosophila genes. Near the edge of this limit, however, we find the testis and brain are uniquely capable of expressing rare codon-enriched reporters. We define a new metric of tissue-specific codon usage, the tissue-apparent Codon Adaptation Index (taCAI), to reveal a conserved enrichment for rare codon usage in the endogenously expressed genes of both Drosophila and human testis. We further demonstrate a role for rare codons in an evolutionarily young testis-specific gene, RpL10Aa. Optimizing RpL10Aa codons disrupts female fertility. Our work highlights distinct responses to rarely used codons in select tissues, revealing a critical role for codon bias in tissue biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Allen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Rebeccah K Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Michael Rogers
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Ivan Jimenez Ruiz
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Erez Cohen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Alain Laederach
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | | | - Jessica K Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Donald T Fox
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li Y, Bagheri P, Chang P, Zeng A, Hao J, Fung A, Wu JY, Shi L. Direct Imaging of Lipid Metabolic Changes in Drosophila Ovary During Aging Using DO-SRS Microscopy. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 2:819903. [PMID: 35822015 PMCID: PMC9261447 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2021.819903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Emerging studies have shown that lipids and proteins play versatile roles in various aspects of aging. High-resolution in situ optical imaging provides a powerful approach to study the metabolic dynamics of lipids and proteins during aging. Here, we integrated D2O probing and stimulated Raman scattering (DO-SRS) microscopy to directly visualize metabolic changes in aging Drosophila ovary. The subcellular spatial distribution of de novo protein synthesis and lipogenesis in ovary was quantitatively imaged and examined. Our Raman spectra showed that early stages follicles were protein-enriched whereas mature eggs were lipid-enriched. DO-SRS imaging showed a higher protein synthesis in the earlier developing stages and an increased lipid turned over at the late stage. Aged (35 days) flies exhibited a dramatic decrease in metabolic turnover activities of both proteins and lipids, particularly, in the germ stem cell niche of germarium. We found an accumulation of unsaturated lipids in the nurse cells and oocytes in old flies, suggesting that unsaturated lipids may play an important role in the processes of oocyte maturation. We further detected changes in mitochondrial morphology and accumulation of Cytochrome c during aging. To our knowledge, this is the first study that directly visualizes spatiotemporal changes in lipid and protein metabolism in Drosophila ovary during development and aging processes. Our study not only demonstrates the application of a new imaging platform in visualizing metabolic dynamics of lipids and proteins in situ but also unravels how the metabolic activity and lipid distribution change in Drosophila ovary during aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Li
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pegah Bagheri
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Phyllis Chang
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Audrey Zeng
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jie Hao
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Anthony Fung
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jane Y. Wu
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lingyan Shi
- The Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Lingyan Shi,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lu H, Ma L, Zhang Y, Feng Y, Zhang J, Wang S. Current Animal Model Systems for Ovarian Aging Research. Aging Dis 2022; 13:1183-1195. [PMID: 35855343 PMCID: PMC9286907 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2021.1209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian aging leads to menopause, loss of fertility and other disorders in multiple organs, which brings great distress to women. For ethical reasons, it is impossible to use humans as direct study subjects for aging research. Therefore, biomedical researchers have employed different non-human organisms to study ovarian aging, including worms, fruit flies, fishes, amphibians, birds, mice, rats, cavies, rabbits, pigs, sheep, cows, horses, monkeys, and apes. Because each of these model organisms has its own features, multiple factors, such as size, anatomical structure, cost, ease of operation, fertility, generation time, lifespan, and gene heredity, should be carefully considered when selecting a model system to study ovarian aging. An appropriate model organism would help researchers explore the risk factors and elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying declined ovarian functions, which might be conducive to preventing or delaying the ovarian aging process. This article will offer an overview on several currently available and commonly used model organisms for ovarian aging research by comparing their pros and cons. In doing so, we hope to provide useful information for ovarian aging researchers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Lingwei Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Yanzhi Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
| | - Jinjin Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Shixuan Wang () and Dr. Jinjin Zhang (), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shixuan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.
- Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Shixuan Wang () and Dr. Jinjin Zhang (), Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Wuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Doherty CA, Amargant F, Shvartsman SY, Duncan FE, Gavis ER. Bidirectional communication in oogenesis: a dynamic conversation in mice and Drosophila. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 32:311-323. [PMID: 34922803 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In most animals, the oocyte is the largest cell by volume. The oocyte undergoes a period of large-scale growth during its development, prior to fertilization. At first glance, tissues that support the development of the oocyte in different organisms have diverse cellular characteristics that would seem to prohibit functional comparisons. However, these tissues often act with a common goal of establishing dynamic forms of two-way communication with the oocyte. We propose that this bidirectional communication between oocytes and support cells is a universal phenomenon that can be directly compared across species. Specifically, we highlight fruit fly and mouse oogenesis to demonstrate that similarities and differences in these systems should be used to inform and design future experiments in both models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Doherty
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Farners Amargant
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Francesca E Duncan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Gavis
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Russell SA, Laws KM, Bashaw GJ. Frazzled/Dcc acts independently of Netrin to promote germline survival during Drosophila oogenesis. Development 2021; 148:dev199762. [PMID: 34910816 PMCID: PMC8722396 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Netrin receptor Frazzled/Dcc (Fra in Drosophila) functions in diverse tissue contexts to regulate cell migration, axon guidance and cell survival. Fra signals in response to Netrin to regulate the cytoskeleton and also acts independently of Netrin to directly regulate transcription during axon guidance in Drosophila. In other contexts, Dcc acts as a tumor suppressor by directly promoting apoptosis. In this study, we report that Fra is required in the Drosophila female germline for the progression of egg chambers through mid-oogenesis. Loss of Fra in the germline, but not the somatic cells of the ovary, results in the degeneration of egg chambers. Although a failure in nutrient sensing and disruptions in egg chamber polarity can result in degeneration at mid-oogenesis, these factors do not appear to be affected in fra germline mutants. However, similar to the degeneration that occurs in those contexts, the cell death effector Dcp-1 is activated in fra germline mutants. The function of Fra in the female germline is independent of Netrin and requires the transcriptional activation domain of Fra. In contrast to the role of Dcc in promoting cell death, our observations reveal a role for Fra in regulating germline survival by inhibiting apoptosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaitlin M. Laws
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Greg J. Bashaw
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dorogova NV, Zubkova AE, Fedorova ЕV, Bolobolova ЕU, Baricheva ЕМ. [Lack of GAGA protein in Trl mutants causes massive cell death in Drosophila spermatogenesis and oogenesis]. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2021; 25:292-300. [PMID: 34901726 PMCID: PMC8627872 DOI: 10.18699/vj21.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Белок дрозофилы GAGA (GAF) является фактором эпигенетической регуляции транскрипции
большой группы генов с широким разнообразием клеточных функций. GAF кодируется геном Trithorax-like
(Trl), который экспрессируется в различных органах и тканях на всех стадиях онтогенеза дрозофилы. Мутации этого гена вызывают множественные нарушения развития. В предыдущих работах мы показали, что этот
белок необходим для развития половой системы как самцов, так и самок дрозофилы. Снижение экспрессии
гена Trl приводило ко множественным нарушениям спермато- и оогенеза. Одно из значительных нарушений было связано с массовой деградацией и потерей клеток зародышевого пути, что позволило предположить, что этот белок вовлечен в регуляцию клеточной гибели. В представленной работе мы провели более
детальное цитологическое исследование, чтобы определить, какой тип гибели клеток зародышевого пути
характерен для Trl-мутантов, и происходят ли нарушения или изменения этого процесса по сравнению с
нормой. Полученные результаты показали, что недостаток белка GAF вызывает массовую гибель клеток зародышевого пути как у самок, так и самцов дрозофилы, но проявляется эта гибель в зависимости от пола
по-разному. У самок, мутантных по гену Trl, фенотипически этот процесс не отличается от нормы и в гибнущих яйцевых камерах выявлены признаки апоптоза и аутофагии клеток зародышевого пути. У самцов, мутантных по гену Trl, в отличие от самок, не обнаружены признаки апоптоза. У самцов мутации Trl индуцируют
массовую гибель клеток через аутофагию, что не характерно для сперматогенеза дрозофилы и не описано
ранее ни в норме, ни у мутаций по другим генам. Таким образом, недостаток GAF у мутантов Trl приводит
к усилению апоптотической и аутофагической гибели клеток зародышевого пути. Эктопическая клеточная
гибель и атрофия зародышевой линии, вероятно, связаны с нарушением экспрессии генов-мишеней GAGAфактора, среди которых есть гены, регулирующие как апоптоз, так и аутофагию.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N V Dorogova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A E Zubkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Е V Fedorova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Е U Bolobolova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Е М Baricheva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lebo DPV, Chirn A, Taylor JD, Levan A, Doerre Torres V, Agreda E, Serizier SB, Lord AK, Jenkins VK, McCall K. An RNAi screen of the kinome in epithelial follicle cells of the Drosophila melanogaster ovary reveals genes required for proper germline death and clearance. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6080751. [PMID: 33693600 PMCID: PMC8022946 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death and cell corpse clearance are an essential part of organismal health and development. Cell corpses are often cleared away by professional phagocytes such as macrophages. However, in certain tissues, neighboring cells known as nonprofessional phagocytes can also carry out clearance functions. Here, we use the Drosophila melanogaster ovary to identify novel genes required for clearance by nonprofessional phagocytes. In the Drosophila ovary, germline cells can die at multiple time points. As death proceeds, the epithelial follicle cells act as phagocytes to facilitate the clearance of these cells. We performed an unbiased kinase screen to identify novel proteins and pathways involved in cell clearance during two death events. Of 224 genes examined, 18 demonstrated severe phenotypes during developmental death and clearance while 12 demonstrated severe phenotypes during starvation-induced cell death and clearance, representing a number of pathways not previously implicated in phagocytosis. Interestingly, it was found that several genes not only affected the clearance process in the phagocytes, but also non-autonomously affected the process by which germline cells died. This kinase screen has revealed new avenues for further exploration and investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane P V Lebo
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Alice Chirn
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Taylor
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.,Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Andre Levan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.,Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Emily Agreda
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sandy B Serizier
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.,Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Allison K Lord
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Kimberly McCall
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lebo DPV, McCall K. Murder on the Ovarian Express: A Tale of Non-Autonomous Cell Death in the Drosophila Ovary. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061454. [PMID: 34200604 PMCID: PMC8228772 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout oogenesis, Drosophila egg chambers traverse the fine line between survival and death. After surviving the ten early and middle stages of oogenesis, egg chambers drastically change their size and structure to produce fully developed oocytes. The development of an oocyte comes at a cost, the price is the lives of the oocyte’s 15 siblings, the nurse cells. These nurse cells do not die of their own accord. Their death is dependent upon their neighbors—the stretch follicle cells. Stretch follicle cells are nonprofessional phagocytes that spend the final stages of oogenesis surrounding the nurse cells and subsequently forcing the nurse cells to give up everything for the sake of the oocyte. In this review, we provide an overview of cell death in the ovary, with a focus on recent findings concerning this phagocyte-dependent non-autonomous cell death.
Collapse
|
22
|
Poetini MR, Musachio EAS, Araujo SM, Almeida FP, Dahleh MMM, Bortolotto VC, Janner DE, Pinheiro FC, Ramborger BP, Roehrs R, La Rosa Novo D, Mesko MF, Guerra GP, Prigol M. Iron overload during the embryonic period develops hyperactive like behavior and dysregulation of biogenic amines in Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol 2021; 475:80-90. [PMID: 33741348 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is used in various cellular functions, and a constant balance between its uptake, transport, storage, and use is necessary to maintain its homeostasis in the body. Changes in Fe metabolism with a consequent overload of this metal are related to neurological changes and cover a broad spectrum of diseases, mainly when these changes occur during the embryonic period. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of exposure to Fe overload during the embryonic period of Drosophila melanogaster. Progenitor flies (male and female) were exposed to ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) for ten days in concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 5 mM. After mating and oviposition, the progenitors were removed and the treatment bottles preserved, and the number of daily hatches and cumulative hatching of the first filial generation (F1) were counted. Subsequently, F1 flies (separated by sex) were subjected to behavioral tests such as negative geotaxis test, open field test, grooming, and aggression test. They have evaluated the levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), octopamine (OA), tryptophan and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), acetylcholinesterase, reactive species, and the levels of Fe in the progenitor flies and F1. The Fe levels of F1 flies are directly proportional to what is incorporated during the period of embryonic development; we also observed a delay in hatching and a reduction in the number of the hatch of F1 flies exposed during the embryonic period to the 5mM Fe diet, a fact that may be related to the reduction of the cell viability of the ovarian tissue of progenitor flies. The flies exposed to Fe (1 and 5 mM) showed an increase in locomotor activity (hyperactivity) and a significantly higher number of repetitive movements. In addition to a high number of aggressive encounters when compared to control flies. We can also observe an increase in the levels of biogenic amines DA and 5-HT and an increase in TH activity in flies exposed to Fe (1 and 5 mM) compared to the control group. We conclude that the hyperactive-like behavior demonstrated in both sexes by F1 flies exposed to Fe may be associated with a dysregulation in the levels of DA and 5-HT since Fe is a cofactor of TH, which had its activity increased in this study. Therefore, more attention is needed during the embryonic development period for exposure to Fe overload.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Márcia Rósula Poetini
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Elize Aparecida Santos Musachio
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Stífani Machado Araujo
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Francielli Polet Almeida
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Mustafa Munir Mustafa Dahleh
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Vandreza Cardoso Bortolotto
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Dieniffer Espinosa Janner
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Franciane Cabral Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Bruna Piaia Ramborger
- Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus Uruguaiana, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica (PPGBioq), BR-472 Km 7, Uruguaiana, RS, CEP 97500-970, Brazil
| | - Rafael Roehrs
- Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus Uruguaiana, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica (PPGBioq), BR-472 Km 7, Uruguaiana, RS, CEP 97500-970, Brazil
| | - Diogo La Rosa Novo
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, S/N - Prédio/Bloco: 30 e 32, Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 96160-000, Brazil
| | - Márcia Foster Mesko
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, S/N - Prédio/Bloco: 30 e 32, Capão do Leão, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 96160-000, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Petri Guerra
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil
| | - Marina Prigol
- Laboratório de Avaliações Farmacológicas e Toxicológicas Aplicadas às Moléculas Bioativas- LaftamBio Pampa, Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Itaqui, Rua Joaquim de Sá Britto, s/n, Bairro: Promorar, Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 97650-000, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Potter-Birriel JM, Gonsalvez GB, Marzluff WF. A region of SLBP outside the mRNA-processing domain is essential for deposition of histone mRNA into the Drosophila egg. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:jcs251728. [PMID: 33408246 PMCID: PMC7888719 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.251728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Replication-dependent histone mRNAs are the only cellular mRNAs that are not polyadenylated, ending in a stemloop instead of a polyA tail, and are normally regulated coordinately with DNA replication. Stemloop-binding protein (SLBP) binds the 3' end of histone mRNA, and is required for processing and translation. During Drosophila oogenesis, large amounts of histone mRNAs and proteins are deposited in the developing oocyte. The maternally deposited histone mRNA is synthesized in stage 10B oocytes after the nurse cells complete endoreduplication. We report that in wild-type stage 10B oocytes, the histone locus bodies (HLBs), formed on the histone genes, produce histone mRNAs in the absence of phosphorylation of Mxc, which is normally required for histone gene expression in S-phase cells. Two mutants of SLBP, one with reduced expression and another with a 10-amino-acid deletion, fail to deposit sufficient histone mRNA in the oocyte, and do not transcribe the histone genes in stage 10B. Mutations in a putative SLBP nuclear localization sequence overlapping the deletion phenocopy the deletion. We conclude that a high concentration of SLBP in the nucleus of stage 10B oocytes is essential for histone gene transcription.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Michelle Potter-Birriel
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Graydon B Gonsalvez
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912 , USA
| | - William F Marzluff
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Antel M, Baena V, Terasaki M, Inaba M. Ultrastructural Analysis of Cell-Cell Interactions in Drosophila Ovary. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2346:79-90. [PMID: 33460026 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2020_342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Drosophila ovary is an exceptional model for studying cell-cell interactions in vivo. Cells communicate with each other in a highly coordinated manner. Accurate spatiotemporal regulation of cell-cell interaction is critical for the development of eggs. Ultrastructural analysis using electron microscopy (EM) permits the visualization of both cells and subcellular signaling structures with high resolution. Here we describe a method for the processing of intact fly ovaries by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Antel
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Valentina Baena
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Mark Terasaki
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Mayu Inaba
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Dorogova NV, Galimova YA, Bolobolova EU, Baricheva EM, Fedorova SA. Loss of Drosophila E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Hyd Promotes Extra Mitosis in Germline Cysts and Massive Cell Death During Oogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:600868. [PMID: 33240894 PMCID: PMC7680892 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.600868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila hyperplastic disc (hyd) gene is the ortholog of mammalian tumor suppressor EDD, which is implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, and its regulation is impaired in various tumors. It is a member of the highly conserved HECT family of E3 ubiquitin ligases, which directly attach ubiquitin to targeted substrates. In early works, it was shown that Drosophila Hyd may be a tumor suppressor because it is involved in the control of imaginal-disc cell proliferation and growth. In this study, we demonstrated that Hyd is also important for the regulation of female germ cell proliferation and that its depletion leads to additional germline cell mitoses. Furthermore, we revealed a previously unknown Hyd function associated with the maintenance of germ cells' viability. A reduction in hyd expression by either mutations or RNA interference resulted in large-scale germ cell death at different stages of oogenesis. Thus, the analysis of phenotypes arising from the hyd deficiency points to Hyd's role in the regulation of germline metabolic processes during oogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Dorogova
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Yuliya A Galimova
- Department of the Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Us Bolobolova
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elina M Baricheva
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Svetlana A Fedorova
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Melamed D, Kalderon D. Opposing JAK-STAT and Wnt signaling gradients define a stem cell domain by regulating differentiation at two borders. eLife 2020; 9:61204. [PMID: 33135631 PMCID: PMC7695452 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many adult stem cell communities are maintained by population asymmetry, where stochastic behaviors of multiple individual cells collectively result in a balance between stem cell division and differentiation. We investigated how this is achieved for Drosophila Follicle Stem Cells (FSCs) by spatially-restricted niche signals. FSCs produce transit-amplifying Follicle Cells (FCs) from their posterior face and quiescent Escort Cells (ECs) to their anterior. We show that JAK-STAT pathway activity, which declines from posterior to anterior, dictates the pattern of divisions over the FSC domain, promotes more posterior FSC locations and conversion to FCs, while opposing EC production. Wnt pathway activity declines from the anterior, promotes anterior FSC locations and EC production, and opposes FC production. The pathways combine to define a stem cell domain through concerted effects on FSC differentiation to ECs and FCs at either end of opposing signaling gradients, and impose a pattern of proliferation that matches derivative production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Melamed
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Daniel Kalderon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bolobolova EU, Dorogova NV, Fedorova SA. Major Scenarios of Genetically Regulated Cell Death during Oogenesis in Drosophilamelanogaster. RUSS J GENET+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795420060034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
28
|
Slaidina M, Banisch TU, Gupta S, Lehmann R. A single-cell atlas of the developing Drosophila ovary identifies follicle stem cell progenitors. Genes Dev 2020; 34:239-249. [PMID: 31919193 PMCID: PMC7000915 DOI: 10.1101/gad.330464.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Addressing the complexity of organogenesis at a system-wide level requires a complete understanding of adult cell types, their origin, and precursor relationships. The Drosophila ovary has been a model to study how coordinated stem cell units, germline, and somatic follicle stem cells maintain and renew an organ. However, lack of cell type-specific tools have limited our ability to study the origin of individual cell types and stem cell units. Here, we used a single-cell RNA sequencing approach to uncover all known cell types of the developing ovary, reveal transcriptional signatures, and identify cell type-specific markers for lineage tracing. Our study identifies a novel cell type corresponding to the elusive follicle stem cell precursors and predicts subtypes of known cell types. Altogether, we reveal a previously unanticipated complexity of the developing ovary and provide a comprehensive resource for the systematic analysis of ovary morphogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maija Slaidina
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA
| | - Torsten U Banisch
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA
| | - Selena Gupta
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA
| | - Ruth Lehmann
- Department of Cell Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Mandi M, Khatun S, Rajak P, Mazumdar A, Roy S. Potential risk of organophosphate exposure in male reproductive system of a non-target insect model Drosophila melanogaster. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 74:103308. [PMID: 31816565 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.103308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Based on several adverse reports of pesticides on reproductive efficiency of various organisms, studies on "reproductive toxicity" have gained importance. Fecundity, reflecting reproductive success of any organism, is governed by several factors from female and male reproductive systems. This present study explored morphological and biochemical alterations in the male reproductive system of a non-target model organism, Drosophila melanogaster following chronic sub-lethal exposure (1st instar larvae differentially exposed to 1-6 μg/mL until adulthood) to the organophosphate (OP) pesticide, acephate (chronic LC50 8.71 μg/mL). This study demonstrates altered testis structure, decreased germ cell viability and gross body weight, increased activities of oxidative stress marker lipid peroxidase (LPO), and the endogenous antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT)in addition with altered expression of reproductive marker proteins like vitellogenin and mitoferrin in acephate-exposed flies when compared to control counterparts. Altered reproductive behavior, indicated by a significant decline in the number of mating pairs, validates the adverse effect of chronic acephate exposure on male reproduction in the non-target insect model D. melanogaster.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Moutushi Mandi
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Salma Khatun
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Prem Rajak
- Department of Animal Science, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol, West Bengal, India
| | - Abhijit Mazumdar
- Entomology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Sumedha Roy
- Toxicology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Xu T, Jiang X, Denton D, Kumar S. Ecdysone controlled cell and tissue deletion. Cell Death Differ 2020; 27:1-14. [PMID: 31745213 PMCID: PMC7205961 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0456-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The removal of superfluous and unwanted cells is a critical part of animal development. In insects the steroid hormone ecdysone, the focus of this review, is an essential regulator of developmental transitions, including molting and metamorphosis. Like other steroid hormones, ecdysone works via nuclear hormone receptors to direct spatial and temporal regulation of gene transcription including genes required for cell death. During insect metamorphosis, pulses of ecdysone orchestrate the deletion of obsolete larval tissues, including the larval salivary glands and the midgut. In this review we discuss the molecular machinery and mechanisms of ecdysone-dependent cell and tissue removal, with a focus on studies in Drosophila and Lepidopteran insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Xu
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Xin Jiang
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Donna Denton
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Sharad Kumar
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Comparing DNA damage induced by mobile telephony and other types of man-made electromagnetic fields. MUTATION RESEARCH-REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2019; 781:53-62. [PMID: 31416578 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The number of studies showing adverse effects on living organisms induced by different types of man-made Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) has increased tremendously. Hundreds of peer reviewed published studies show a variety of effects, the most important being DNA damage which is linked to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, reproductive declines etc. Those studies that are far more effective in showing effects employ real-life Mobile Telephony (MT) exposures emitted by commercially available mobile phones. The present review - of results published by my group from 2006 until 2016 - compares DNA fragmentation induced by six different EMFs on the same biological system - the oogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster - under identical conditions and procedures. Such a direct comparison between different EMFs - especially those employed in daily life - on the same biological endpoint, is very useful for drawing conclusions on their bioactivity, and novel. It shows that real MT EMFs are far more damaging than 50 Hz alternating magnetic field (MF) - similar or much stronger to those of power lines - or a pulsed electric field (PEF) found before to increase fertility. The MT EMFs were significantly more bioactive even for much shorter exposure durations than the other EMFs. Moreover, they were more damaging than previously tested cytotoxic agents like certain chemicals, starvation, dehydration. Individual parameters of the real MT EMFs like intensity, frequency, exposure duration, polarization, pulsing, modulation, are discussed in terms of their role in bioactivity. The crucial parameter for the intense bioactivity seems to be the extreme variability of the polarized MT signals, mainly due to the large unpredictable intensity changes.
Collapse
|
32
|
Mirth CK, Nogueira Alves A, Piper MD. Turning food into eggs: insights from nutritional biology and developmental physiology of Drosophila. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 31:49-57. [PMID: 31109673 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition plays a central role in fecundity, regulating the onset of reproductive maturity, egg production, and the survival and health of offspring from insects to humans. Although decades of research have worked to uncover how nutrition mediates these effects, it has proven difficult to disentangle the relative role of nutrients as the raw material for egg and offspring development versus their role in stimulating endocrine cascades necessary to drive development. This has been further complicated by the fact that both nutrients and the signalling cascades they regulate interact in complex ways to control fecundity. Separating the two effects becomes important when trying to understand how fecundity is regulated, and in devising strategies to offset the negative effects of nutrition on reproductive health. In this review, we use the extensive literature on egg development in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to explore how the nutrients from food provide the building blocks and stimulate signalling cascades necessary for making an egg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christen K Mirth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | - André Nogueira Alves
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Matthew Dw Piper
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Saatian B, Austin RS, Tian G, Chen C, Nguyen V, Kohalmi SE, Geelen D, Cui Y. Analysis of a novel mutant allele of GSL8 reveals its key roles in cytokinesis and symplastic trafficking in Arabidopsis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:295. [PMID: 30466394 PMCID: PMC6249969 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1515-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant cell walls are mainly composed of polysaccharides such as cellulose and callose. Callose exists at a very low level in the cell wall; however, it plays critical roles at different stages of plant development as well as in defence against unfavorable conditions. Callose is accumulated at the cell plate, at plasmodesmata and in male and female gametophytes. Despite the important roles of callose in plants, the mechanisms of its synthesis and regulatory properties are not well understood. RESULTS CALLOSE SYNTHASE (CALS) genes, also known as GLUCAN SYNTHASE-LIKE (GSL), comprise a family of 12 members in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe a new allele of GSL8 (named essp8) that exhibits pleiotropic seedling defects. Reduction of callose deposition at the cell plates and plasmodesmata in essp8 leads to ectopic endomitosis and an increase in the size exclusion limit of plasmodesmata during early seedling development. Movement of two non-cell-autonomous factors, SHORT ROOT and microRNA165/6, both required for root radial patterning during embryonic root development, are dysregulated in the primary root of essp8. This observation provides evidence for a molecular mechanism explaining the gsl8 root phenotype. We demonstrated that GSL8 interacts with PLASMODESMATA-LOCALIZED PROTEIN 5, a β-1,3-glucanase, and GSL10. We propose that they all might be part of a putative callose synthase complex, allowing a concerted regulation of callose deposition at plasmodesmata. CONCLUSION Analysis of a novel mutant allele of GSL8 reveals that GSL8 is a key player in early seedling development in Arabidopsis. GSL8 is required for maintaining the basic ploidy level and regulating the symplastic trafficking. Callose deposition at plasmodesmata is highly regulated and occurs through interaction of different components, likely to be incorporated into a callose biosynthesis complex. We are providing new evidence supporting an earlier hypothesis that GSL8 might have regulatory roles apart from its enzymatic function in plasmodesmata regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Behnaz Saatian
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | - Ryan S. Austin
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | - Gang Tian
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
| | - Chen Chen
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | - Vi Nguyen
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
| | - Susanne E. Kohalmi
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| | - Danny Geelen
- In Vitro Biology and Horticulture, Department of Plant Production, University of Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yuhai Cui
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London Research and Development Centre, London, ON Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, 1391 Sandford St, London, ON N5V 4T3 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Lirakis M, Dolezal M, Schlötterer C. Redefining reproductive dormancy in Drosophila as a general stress response to cold temperatures. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 107:175-185. [PMID: 29649483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Organisms regularly encounter unfavorable conditions and the genetic adaptations facilitating survival have been of long-standing interest to evolutionary biologists. Winter is one particularly stressful condition for insects, during which they encounter low temperatures and scarcity of food. Despite dormancy being a well-studied adaptation to facilitate overwintering, there is still considerable controversy about the distribution of dormancy among natural populations and between species in Drosophila. The current definition of dormancy as developmental arrest of oogenesis at the previtellogenic stage (stage 7) distinguishes dormancy from general stress related block of oogenesis at early vitellogenic stages (stages 8 - 9). In an attempt to resolve this, we scrutinized reproductive dormancy in D. melanogaster and D. simulans. We show that dormancy shows the same hallmarks of arrest of oogenesis at stage 9, as described for other stressors and propose a new classification for dormancy. Applying this modified classification, we show that both species express dormancy in cosmopolitan and African populations, further supporting that dormancy uses an ancestral pathway induced by environmental stress. While we found significant differences between individuals and the two Drosophila species in their sensitivity to cold temperature stress, we also noted that extreme temperature stress (8 °C) resulted in very strong dormancy incidence, which strongly reduced the differences seen at less extreme temperatures. We conclude that dormancy in Drosophila should not be considered a special trait, but is better understood as a generic stress response occurring at low temperatures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manolis Lirakis
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Wien, Austria; Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Wien, Austria.
| | - Marlies Dolezal
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Wien, Austria
| | - Christian Schlötterer
- Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Wien, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Tang HM, Fung MC, Tang HL. Detecting Anastasis In Vivo by CaspaseTracker Biosensor. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29443051 DOI: 10.3791/54107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Anastasis (Greek for "rising to life") is a recently discovered cell recovery phenomenon whereby dying cells can reverse late-stage cell death processes that are generally assumed to be intrinsically irreversible. Promoting anastasis could in principle rescue or preserve injured cells that are difficult to replace such as cardiomyocytes or neurons, thereby facilitating tissue recovery. Conversely, suppressing anastasis in cancer cells, undergoing apoptosis after anti-cancer therapies, may ensure cancer cell death and reduce the chances of recurrence. However, these studies have been hampered by the lack of tools for tracking the fate of cells that undergo anastasis in live animals. The challenge is to identify the cells that have reversed the cell death process despite their morphologically normal appearance after recovery. To overcome this difficulty, we have developed Drosophila and mammalian CaspaseTracker biosensor systems that can identify and permanently track the anastatic cells in vitro or in vivo. Here, we present in vivo protocols for the generation and use of the CaspaseTracker dual biosensor system to detect and track anastasis in Drosophila melanogaster after transient exposure to cell death stimuli. While conventional biosensors and protocols can label cells actively undergoing apoptotic cell death, the CaspaseTracker biosensor can permanently label cells that have recovered after caspase activation - a hallmark of late-stage apoptosis, and simultaneously identify active apoptotic processes. This biosensor can also track the recovery of the cells that attempted other forms of cell death that directly or indirectly involved caspase activity. Therefore, this protocol enables us to continuously track the fate of these cells and their progeny, facilitating future studies of the biological functions, molecular mechanisms, physiological and pathological consequences, and therapeutic implications of anastasis. We also discuss the appropriate controls to distinguish cells that undergo anastasis from those that display non-apoptotic caspase activity in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ho Man Tang
- Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; School of Life Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong;
| | - Ming Chiu Fung
- School of Life Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong;
| | - Ho Lam Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine;
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Stress-induced reproductive arrest in Drosophila occurs through ETH deficiency-mediated suppression of oogenesis and ovulation. BMC Biol 2018; 16:18. [PMID: 29382341 PMCID: PMC5791332 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0484-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental stressors induce changes in endocrine state, leading to energy re-allocation from reproduction to survival. Female Drosophila melanogaster respond to thermal and nutrient stressors by arresting egg production through elevation of the steroid hormone ecdysone. However, the mechanisms through which this reproductive arrest occurs are not well understood. RESULTS Here we report that stress-induced elevation of ecdysone is accompanied by decreased levels of ecdysis triggering hormone (ETH). Depressed levels of circulating ETH lead to attenuated activity of its targets, including juvenile hormone-producing corpus allatum and, as we describe here for the first time, octopaminergic neurons of the oviduct. Elevation of steroid thereby results in arrested oogenesis, reduced octopaminergic input to the reproductive tract, and consequent suppression of ovulation. ETH mitigates heat or nutritional stress-induced attenuation of fecundity, which suggests that its deficiency is critical to reproductive adaptability. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that, as a dual regulator of octopamine and juvenile hormone release, ETH provides a link between stress-induced elevation of ecdysone levels and consequent reduction in fecundity.
Collapse
|
37
|
Moura-Martiniano NO, Machado-Ferreira E, Gazêta GS, Soares CAG. Relative transcription of autophagy-related genes in Amblyomma sculptum and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 73:401-428. [PMID: 29181673 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0193-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ticks endure stressful off-host periods and perform as vectors of a diversity of infectious agents, thus engaging pathways that expectedly demand for autophagy. Little is known of ticks' autophagy, a conserved eukaryotic machinery assisting in homeostasis processes that also participates in tissue-dependent metabolic functions. Here, the autophagy-related ATG4 (autophagin-1), ATG6 (beclin-1) and ATG8 (LC3) mRNAs from the human diseases vector Amblyomma sculptum and the cattle-tick Rhipicephalus microplus were identified. Comparative qPCR quantifications evidenced different transcriptional status for the ATG genes in the salivary glands (SG), ovaries and intestines of actively feeding ticks. These ATGs had increased relative transcription under nutrient-deprivation, as determined by validation tests with R. microplus embryo-derivative cells BME26 and A. sculptum SG explants incubations in HBSS. Starvation lead to 4-31.8× and ~ 60-500× increments on the ATGs mRNA loads in BME26 and A. sculptum SG explants, respectively. PI3K inhibitor 3MA treatment also affected ATGs expression in BME26. Some ATGs were more transcribed in the SGs than in the ovaries of cattle-ticks. Amblyomma sculptum/R. microplus interspecific comparisons showed that ATG4 and ATG6 were 0.18× less expressed in A. sculptum SGs, but ~ 10-100× more expressed in their ovaries when compared to R. microplus organs. ATG4 and ATG8a transcript loads were ~ 120× and ~ 40× higher, respectively, in A. sculptum intestines when compared to cattle-ticks of similar weight category. ATGs expression in A. sculptum intestines increased with tick weight, indicating Atgs contribution to intracellular blood digestion. Possible roles of the autophagy machinery and their organ-specific expression profile on vector biology are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole O Moura-Martiniano
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Erik Machado-Ferreira
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gilberto S Gazêta
- Laboratório de Referência Nacional em Vetores das Riquetsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Augusto Gomes Soares
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Eucariontes e Simbiontes, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- , Ilha do Fundão, CCS, Bloco A, Lab. A2-120. Rua Professor Rodolpho Paulo Rocco S/N, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-617, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Serizier SB, McCall K. Scrambled Eggs: Apoptotic Cell Clearance by Non-Professional Phagocytes in the Drosophila Ovary. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1642. [PMID: 29238344 PMCID: PMC5712531 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
For half of a century, it has been known that non-professional phagocytes, such as fibroblasts, endothelial, and epithelial cells, are capable of efferocytosis (engulfment of apoptotic cells). Non-professional phagocytes differ from professional phagocytes in the range and efficiency of engulfment. Much of the recognition and underlying signaling machinery between non-professional and professional phagocytes is the same, but it is not known how the engulfment capacity of non-professional phagocytes is controlled. Moreover, the signaling networks involved in cell corpse recognition, engulfment, and phagosome maturation are only partially understood. The Drosophila ovary provides an excellent system to investigate the regulation of phagocytic activity by epithelial cells, a major class of non-professional phagocytes. During Drosophila oogenesis, mid-stage egg chambers undergo apoptosis of the germline in response to nutrient deprivation. Epithelial follicle cells then undergo major cell shape changes and concomitantly engulf the germline material. Our previous work has established that Draper and the integrin α-PS3/β-PS heterodimer are required in follicle cells for germline cell clearance. In addition, we have characterized phagosome maturation pathways, and found that the JNK pathway amplifies the engulfment response. In this review, we discuss recent advances on the interplay between engulfment pathways in the follicular epithelium for cell clearance in the Drosophila ovary. We also provide a comparison to apoptotic cell clearance mechanisms in C. elegans and mammals, illustrating strong conservation of efferocytosis mechanisms by non-professional phagocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandy B Serizier
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kimberly McCall
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhang C, Montooth KL, Calvi BR. Incompatibility between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes during oogenesis results in ovarian failure and embryonic lethality. Development 2017; 144:2490-2503. [PMID: 28576772 DOI: 10.1242/dev.151951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction can cause female infertility. An important unresolved issue is the extent to which incompatibility between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes contributes to female infertility. It has previously been shown that a mitochondrial haplotype from D. simulans (simw501 ) is incompatible with a nuclear genome from the D. melanogaster strain Oregon-R (OreR), resulting in impaired development, which was enhanced at higher temperature. This mito-nuclear incompatibility is between alleles of the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (Aatm) and the mitochondrial-encoded tyrosyl-tRNA that it aminoacylates. Here, we show that this mito-nuclear incompatibility causes a severe temperature-sensitive female infertility. The OreR nuclear genome contributed to death of ovarian germline stem cells and reduced egg production, which was further enhanced by the incompatibility with simw501 mitochondria. Mito-nuclear incompatibility also resulted in aberrant egg morphology and a maternal-effect on embryonic chromosome segregation and survival, which was completely dependent on the temperature and mito-nuclear genotype of the mother. Our findings show that maternal mito-nuclear incompatibility during Drosophila oogenesis has severe consequences for egg production and embryonic survival, with important broader relevance to human female infertility and mitochondrial replacement therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Zhang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - Kristi L Montooth
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Brian R Calvi
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Endocrine network essential for reproductive success in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E3849-E3858. [PMID: 28439025 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620760114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH) was originally discovered and characterized as a molt termination signal in insects through its regulation of the ecdysis sequence. Here we report that ETH persists in adult Drosophila melanogaster, where it functions as an obligatory allatotropin to promote juvenile hormone (JH) production and reproduction. ETH signaling deficits lead to sharply reduced JH levels and consequent reductions of ovary size, egg production, and yolk deposition in mature oocytes. Expression of ETH and ETH receptor genes is in turn dependent on ecdysone (20E). Furthermore, 20E receptor knockdown specifically in Inka cells reduces fecundity. Our findings indicate that the canonical developmental roles of 20E, ETH, and JH during juvenile stages are repurposed to function as an endocrine network essential for reproductive success.
Collapse
|
41
|
Manta AK, Papadopoulou D, Polyzos AP, Fragopoulou AF, Skouroliakou AS, Thanos D, Stravopodis DJ, Margaritis LH. Mobile-phone radiation-induced perturbation of gene-expression profiling, redox equilibrium and sporadic-apoptosis control in the ovary of Drosophila melanogaster. Fly (Austin) 2016; 11:75-95. [PMID: 27960592 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2016.1270487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The daily use by people of wireless communication devices has increased exponentially in the last decade, begetting concerns regarding its potential health hazards. Drosophila melanogaster four days-old adult female flies were exposed for 30 min to radiation emitted by a commercial mobile phone at a SAR of 0.15 W/kg and a SAE of 270 J/kg. ROS levels and apoptotic follicles were assayed in parallel with a genome-wide microarrays analysis. ROS cellular contents were found to increase by 1.6-fold (x), immediately after the end of exposure, in follicles of pre-choriogenic stages (germarium - stage 10), while sporadically generated apoptotic follicles (germarium 2b and stages 7-9) presented with an averaged 2x upregulation in their sub-population mass, 4 h after fly's irradiation with mobile device. Microarray analysis revealed 168 genes being differentially expressed, 2 h post-exposure, in response to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field-radiation exposure (≥1.25x, P < 0.05) and associated with multiple and critical biological processes, such as basic metabolism and cellular subroutines related to stress response and apoptotic death. Exposure of adult flies to mobile-phone radiation for 30 min has an immediate impact on ROS production in animal's ovary, which seems to cause a global, systemic and non-targeted transcriptional reprogramming of gene expression, 2 h post-exposure, being finally followed by induction of apoptosis 4 h after the end of exposure. Conclusively, this unique type of pulsed radiation, mainly being derived from daily used mobile phones, seems capable of mobilizing critical cytopathic mechanisms, and altering fundamental genetic programs and networks in D. melanogaster.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Areti K Manta
- a Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Deppie Papadopoulou
- b Basic Research Center , Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Alexander P Polyzos
- b Basic Research Center , Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Adamantia F Fragopoulou
- a Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Aikaterini S Skouroliakou
- c Department of Energy Technology Engineering , Technological Educational Institute of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Dimitris Thanos
- b Basic Research Center , Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Dimitrios J Stravopodis
- a Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| | - Lukas H Margaritis
- a Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Ronai I, Oldroyd BP, Vergoz V. Queen pheromone regulates programmed cell death in the honey bee worker ovary. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 25:646-652. [PMID: 27321063 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In social insect colonies the presence of a queen, secreting her pheromones, is a key environmental cue for regulating the reproductive state of workers. However, until recently the proximate molecular mechanisms underlying facultative worker sterility were unidentified. Studies into worker oogenesis in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) have indicated that programmed cell death is central to the regulation of oogenesis. Here we investigate how queen pheromone, age of the worker and ovary state affect both programmed cell death and cell number in worker ovaries. We describe a novel method to simultaneously measure programmed cell death (caspase activity) and live cell number (estimated from the amount of adenosine triphosphate) in an insect tissue. Workers exposed to queen pheromone have higher levels of caspase activity in the ovary than those not exposed. Our results suggest that queen pheromone triggers programmed cell death at the mid-oogenesis checkpoint causing the abortion of worker oocytes and reproductive inhibition of the worker caste. Nonetheless, high caspase activity is present in activated ovaries from workers not exposed to queen pheromone. This caspase activity is most likely to be from the nurse cells undergoing programmed cell death, in late oogenesis, for normal oocyte development. Our study shows that the social environment of an organism can influence programmed cell death within a tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I Ronai
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - B P Oldroyd
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - V Vergoz
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
The Histone Variant H3.3 Is Enriched at Drosophila Amplicon Origins but Does Not Mark Them for Activation. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:1661-71. [PMID: 27172191 PMCID: PMC4889662 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.028068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic DNA replication begins from multiple origins. The origin recognition complex (ORC) binds origin DNA and scaffolds assembly of a prereplicative complex (pre-RC), which is subsequently activated to initiate DNA replication. In multicellular eukaryotes, origins do not share a strict DNA consensus sequence, and their activity changes in concert with chromatin status during development, but mechanisms are ill-defined. Previous genome-wide analyses in Drosophila and other organisms have revealed a correlation between ORC binding sites and the histone variant H3.3. This correlation suggests that H3.3 may designate origin sites, but this idea has remained untested. To address this question, we examined the enrichment and function of H3.3 at the origins responsible for developmental gene amplification in the somatic follicle cells of the Drosophila ovary. We found that H3.3 is abundant at these amplicon origins. H3.3 levels remained high when replication initiation was blocked, indicating that H3.3 is abundant at the origins before activation of the pre-RC. H3.3 was also enriched at the origins during early oogenesis, raising the possibility that H3.3 bookmarks sites for later amplification. However, flies null mutant for both of the H3.3 genes in Drosophila did not have overt defects in developmental gene amplification or genomic replication, suggesting that H3.3 is not essential for the assembly or activation of the pre-RC at origins. Instead, our results imply that the correlation between H3.3 and ORC sites reflects other chromatin attributes that are important for origin function.
Collapse
|
44
|
Ronai I, Vergoz V, Oldroyd B. The Mechanistic, Genetic, and Evolutionary Basis of Worker Sterility in the Social Hymenoptera. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2016.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
45
|
Abstract
Drosophila egg chamber development depends on a number of dynamic cellular processes that contribute to the final shape and function of the egg. We can gain insight into the mechanisms underlying these events by combining the power of Drosophila genetics and ex vivo live imaging. During developmental stages 1-8, egg chambers rotate around their anterior-posterior axes due to collective migration of the follicular epithelium. This motion is required for the proper elongation of the egg chamber. Here, we describe how to prepare stage 1-8 egg chambers for live imaging. We provide alternate protocols for the use of inverted or upright microscopes and describe ways to stabilize egg chambers to reduce drift during imaging. We discuss the advantages and limitations of these methods to assist the researcher in choosing an appropriate method based on experimental need and available resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Cetera
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Lindsay Lewellyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, 4600 Sunset Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN, 46208, USA
| | - Sally Horne-Badovinac
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Committee on Development, Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Rojas-Ríos P, Chartier A, Pierson S, Séverac D, Dantec C, Busseau I, Simonelig M. Translational Control of Autophagy by Orb in the Drosophila Germline. Dev Cell 2015; 35:622-631. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
47
|
Peterson JS, Timmons AK, Mondragon AA, McCall K. The End of the Beginning: Cell Death in the Germline. Curr Top Dev Biol 2015; 114:93-119. [PMID: 26431565 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death occurs in the germline of many organisms, both as an essential part of development and throughout adult life. Germline cell death can be apoptotic or nonapoptotic, depending on the stimulus or stage of development. Here, we focus on the Drosophila ovary, which is a powerful model for studying diverse types of cell death. In Drosophila, the death of primordial germ cells occurs normally during embryonic development, and germline nurse cells are programmed to die during oocyte development in adult flies. Cell death of previtellogenic egg chambers in adults can also be induced by starvation or other environmental cues. Mid-oogenesis seems to be particularly sensitive to such cues and has been proposed to serve as a checkpoint to avoid the energetically expensive cost of egg production. After the germline dies in mid-oogenesis, the remnants are engulfed by an epithelial layer of follicle cells; thus, the fly ovary also serves as a highly tractable model for engulfment by epithelial cells. These examples of cell death in the fly ovary share many similarities to the types of cell death seen in the mammalian germline. Recent progress in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell death in the germline is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne S Peterson
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Allison K Timmons
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Kimberly McCall
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Niche signaling promotes stem cell survival in the Drosophila testis via the JAK-STAT target DIAP1. Dev Biol 2015; 404:27-39. [PMID: 25941003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Tissue-specific stem cells are thought to resist environmental insults better than their differentiating progeny, but this resistance varies from one tissue to another, and the underlying mechanisms are not well-understood. Here, we use the Drosophila testis as a model system to study the regulation of cell death within an intact niche. This niche contains sperm-producing germline stem cells (GSCs) and accompanying somatic cyst stem cells (or CySCs). Although many signals are known to promote stem cell self-renewal in this tissue, including the highly conserved JAK-STAT pathway, the response of these stem cells to potential death-inducing signals, and factors promoting stem cell survival, have not been characterized. Here we find that both GSCs and CySCs resist cell death better than their differentiating progeny, under normal laboratory conditions and in response to potential death-inducing stimuli such as irradiation or starvation. To ask what might be promoting stem cell survival, we characterized the role of the anti-apoptotic gene Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (diap1) in testis stem cells. DIAP1 protein is enriched in the GSCs and CySCs and is a JAK-STAT target. diap1 is necessary for survival of both GSCs and CySCs, and ectopic up-regulation of DIAP1 in somatic cyst cells is sufficient to non-autonomously rescue stress-induced cell death in adjacent differentiating germ cells (spermatogonia). Altogether, our results show that niche signals can promote stem cell survival by up-regulation of highly conserved anti-apoptotic proteins, and suggest that this strategy may underlie the ability of stem cells to resist death more generally.
Collapse
|
49
|
Hsu SJ, Plata MP, Ernest B, Asgarifar S, Labrador M. The insulator protein Suppressor of Hairy wing is required for proper ring canal development during oogenesis in Drosophila. Dev Biol 2015; 403:57-68. [PMID: 25882370 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Chromatin insulators orchestrate gene transcription during embryo development and cell differentiation by stabilizing interactions between distant genomic sites. Mutations in genes encoding insulator proteins are generally lethal, making in vivo functional analyses of insulator proteins difficult. In Drosophila, however, mutations in the gene encoding the Suppressor of Hairy wing insulator protein [Su(Hw)] are viable and female sterile, providing an opportunity to study insulator function during oocyte development. Whereas previous reports suggest that the function of Su(Hw) in oogenesis is independent of its insulator activity, many aspects of the role of Su(Hw) in Drosophila oogenesis remain unexplored. Here we show that mutations in su(Hw) result in smaller ring canal lumens and smaller outer ring diameters, which likely obstruct molecular and vesicle passage from nurse cells to the oocyte. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that lack of Su(Hw) leads to excess accumulation of Kelch (Kel) and Filament-actin (F-actin) proteins in the ring canal structures of developing egg chambers. Furthermore, we found that misexpression of the Src oncogene at 64B (Src64B) may cause ring canal development defects as microarray analysis and real-time RT-PCR revealed there is a three fold decrease in Src64B expression in su(Hw) mutant ovaries. Restoration of Src64B expression in su(Hw) mutant female germ cells rescued the ring phenotype but did not restore fertility. We conclude that loss of su(Hw) affects expression of many oogenesis related genes and down-regulates Src64B, resulting in ring canal defects potentially contributing to obstruction of molecular flow and an eventual failure of egg chamber organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Jui Hsu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Maria P Plata
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Ben Ernest
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Saghi Asgarifar
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Mariano Labrador
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Readthrough acetylcholinesterase (AChE-R) and regulated necrosis: pharmacological targets for the regulation of ovarian functions? Cell Death Dis 2015; 6:e1685. [PMID: 25766324 PMCID: PMC4385929 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Proliferation, differentiation and death of ovarian cells ensure orderly functioning of the female gonad during the reproductive phase, which ultimately ends with menopause in women. These processes are regulated by several mechanisms, including local signaling via neurotransmitters. Previous studies showed that ovarian non-neuronal endocrine cells produce acetylcholine (ACh), which likely acts as a trophic factor within the ovarian follicle and the corpus luteum via muscarinic ACh receptors. How its actions are restricted was unknown. We identified enzymatically active acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in human ovarian follicular fluid as a product of human granulosa cells. AChE breaks down ACh and thereby attenuates its trophic functions. Blockage of AChE by huperzine A increased the trophic actions as seen in granulosa cells studies. Among ovarian AChE variants, the readthrough isoform AChE-R was identified, which has further, non-enzymatic roles. AChE-R was found in follicular fluid, granulosa and theca cells, as well as luteal cells, implying that such functions occur in vivo. A synthetic AChE-R peptide (ARP) was used to explore such actions and induced in primary, cultured human granulosa cells a caspase-independent form of cell death with a distinct balloon-like morphology and the release of lactate dehydrogenase. The RIPK1 inhibitor necrostatin-1 and the MLKL-blocker necrosulfonamide significantly reduced this form of cell death. Thus a novel non-enzymatic function of AChE-R is to stimulate RIPK1/MLKL-dependent regulated necrosis (necroptosis). The latter complements a cholinergic system in the ovary, which determines life and death of ovarian cells. Necroptosis likely occurs in the primate ovary, as granulosa and luteal cells were immunopositive for phospho-MLKL, and hence necroptosis may contribute to follicular atresia and luteolysis. The results suggest that interference with the enzymatic activities of AChE and/or interference with necroptosis may be novel approaches to influence ovarian functions.
Collapse
|