1
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Rivera A, Lee JHR, Gupta S, Yang L, Goel RK, Zaia J, Lau NC. Traffic Jam activates the Flamenco piRNA cluster locus and the Piwi pathway to ensure transposon silencing and Drosophila fertility. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.15.608167. [PMID: 39211177 PMCID: PMC11361183 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.15.608167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Flamenco (Flam) is the most prominent piRNA cluster locus expressed in Drosophila ovarian follicle cells, and it is required for female fertility to silence gypsy/mdg4 transposons. To determine how Flam is regulated, we used promoter-bashing reporter assays in OSS cells to uncover novel enhancer sequences within the first exons of Flam . We confirmed the enhancer sequence relevance in vivo with new Drosophila Flam deletion mutants of these regions that compromised Flam piRNA expression and lowered female fertility from activated transposons. Our proteomic analysis of proteins associated with these enhancer sequences discovered the transcription factor Traffic Jam (TJ). Tj knockdowns in OSS cells caused a decrease in Flam transcripts, Flam piRNAs, and multiple Piwi pathway genes. A TJ ChIP-seq analysis from whole flies and OSS cells confirmed TJ binding exactly at the enhancer that was deleted in the new Flam mutant as well as at multiple Piwi pathway gene enhancers. Interestingly, TJ also bound the Long Terminal Repeats of transposons that had decreased expression after Tj knockdowns in OSS cells. Our study reveals the integral role TJ plays in the on-going arms race between selfish transposons and their suppression by the host Piwi pathway and the Flam piRNA cluster locus.
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2
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Phipps DN, Powell AM, Ables ET. Utilizing the FLP-Out System for Clonal RNAi Analysis in the Adult Drosophila Ovary. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2626:69-87. [PMID: 36715900 PMCID: PMC10044525 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2970-3_4] [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 ability to conduct spatially controlled RNA interference (RNAi) for gene knockdown using the UAS/Gal4 system is among the most appealing techniques available for analysis of gene function in the Drosophila ovary. While gene knockdown experiments in somatic cells in the developing organism (i.e., embryos and larvae) are effectively and commonly performed, the use of RNAi in adult ovarian cells can be hampered by the unintended deleterious effects of Gal4 expression in "off-target" developing tissues. Mosaic analysis overcomes these problems by imparting temporal and spatial control over gene manipulation, providing a useful tool to compare manipulated cells with wild-type cells in the same tissue. Here, we provide a method to utilize the UAS/Gal4 system in combination with the Flippase (FLP)-Flippase Recognition Target (FRT) system to generate positively labeled "FLP-Out" clones expressing a chosen RNAi in both the germline and the soma in the Drosophila ovary. This protocol outlines each step of the generation of clones and the selection of appropriate fly stocks and reagents, providing a guide to this powerful tool in the Drosophila genetic toolbox. These techniques allow for RNAi analysis within a specific cell type, providing an opportunity to study a variety of unique aspects of cell function that would not be possible in more traditional RNAi-based experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Phipps
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Amanda M Powell
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Ables
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
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3
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He T, Fan Y, Wang Y, Liu M, Zhu AJ. Dissection of the microRNA Network Regulating Hedgehog Signaling in Drosophila. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:866491. [PMID: 35573695 PMCID: PMC9096565 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.866491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved Hedgehog (Hh) signaling plays a critical role in embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Aberrant Hh signaling often leads to various forms of developmental anomalies and cancer. Since altered microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with developmental defects and tumorigenesis, it is not surprising that several miRNAs have been found to regulate Hh signaling. However, these miRNAs are mainly identified through small-scale in vivo screening or in vitro assays. As miRNAs preferentially reduce target gene expression via the 3' untranslated region, we analyzed the effect of reduced expression of core components of the Hh signaling cascade on downstream signaling activity, and generated a transgenic Drosophila toolbox of in vivo miRNA sensors for core components of Hh signaling, including hh, patched (ptc), smoothened (smo), costal 2 (cos2), fused (fu), Suppressor of fused (Su(fu)), and cubitus interruptus (ci). With these tools in hand, we performed a genome-wide in vivo miRNA overexpression screen in the developing Drosophila wing imaginal disc. Of the twelve miRNAs identified, seven were not previously reported in the in vivo Hh regulatory network. Moreover, these miRNAs may act as general regulators of Hh signaling, as their overexpression disrupts Hh signaling-mediated cyst stem cell maintenance during spermatogenesis. To identify direct targets of these newly discovered miRNAs, we used the miRNA sensor toolbox to show that miR-10 and miR-958 directly target fu and smo, respectively, while the other five miRNAs act through yet-to-be-identified targets other than the seven core components of Hh signaling described above. Importantly, through loss-of-function analysis, we found that endogenous miR-10 and miR-958 target fu and smo, respectively, whereas deletion of the other five miRNAs leads to altered expression of Hh signaling components, suggesting that these seven newly discovered miRNAs regulate Hh signaling in vivo. Given the powerful effects of these miRNAs on Hh signaling, we believe that identifying their bona fide targets of the other five miRNAs will help reveal important new players in the Hh regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao He
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Fan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Alan Jian Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
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4
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Sotillos S, von der Decken I, Domenech Mercadé I, Srinivasan S, Sirokha D, Livshits L, Vanni S, Nef S, Biason-Lauber A, Rodríguez Gutiérrez D, Castelli-Gair Hombría J. A conserved function of Human DLC3 and Drosophila Cv-c in testis development. eLife 2022; 11:82343. [PMID: 36326091 PMCID: PMC9678365 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of genes affecting gonad development is essential to understand the mechanisms causing Variations/Differences in Sex Development (DSD). Recently, a DLC3 mutation was associated with male gonadal dysgenesis in 46,XY DSD patients. We have studied the requirement of Cv-c, the Drosophila ortholog of DLC3, in Drosophila gonad development, as well as the functional capacity of DLC3 human variants to rescue cv-c gonad defects. We show that Cv-c is required to maintain testis integrity during fly development. We find that Cv-c and human DLC3 can perform the same function in fly embryos, as flies carrying wild type but not patient DLC3 variations can rescue gonadal dysgenesis, suggesting functional conservation. We also demonstrate that the StART domain mediates Cv-c's function in the male gonad independently from the GAP domain's activity. This work demonstrates a role for DLC3/Cv-c in male gonadogenesis and highlights a novel StART domain mediated function required to organize the gonadal mesoderm and maintain its interaction with the germ cells during testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Sotillos
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del DesarrolloSevilleSpain
| | - Isabel von der Decken
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular research, University of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
| | - Ivan Domenech Mercadé
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular research, University of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
| | | | - Dmytro Sirokha
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Ludmila Livshits
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineKyivUkraine
| | - Stefano Vanni
- Department of Biology, University of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Anna Biason-Lauber
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular research, University of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
| | - Daniel Rodríguez Gutiérrez
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Cardiovascular research, University of FribourgFribourgSwitzerland
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5
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Karki P, Carney TD, Maracci C, Yatsenko AS, Shcherbata HR, Rodnina MV. Tissue-specific regulation of translational readthrough tunes functions of the traffic jam transcription factor. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:6001-6019. [PMID: 34897510 PMCID: PMC9226519 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational readthrough (TR) occurs when the ribosome decodes a stop codon as a sense codon, resulting in two protein isoforms synthesized from the same mRNA. TR has been identified in several eukaryotic organisms; however, its biological significance and mechanism remain unclear. Here, we quantify TR of several candidate genes in Drosophila melanogaster and characterize the regulation of TR in the large Maf transcription factor Traffic jam (Tj). Using CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutant flies, we show that the TR-generated Tj isoform is expressed in a subset of neural cells of the central nervous system and is excluded from the somatic cells of gonads. Control of TR in Tj is critical for preservation of neuronal integrity and maintenance of reproductive health. The tissue-specific distribution of a release factor splice variant, eRF1H, plays a critical role in modulating differential TR of leaky stop codon contexts. Fine-tuning of gene regulatory functions of transcription factors by TR provides a potential mechanism for cell-specific regulation of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajwal Karki
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Travis D Carney
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Cristina Maracci
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Andriy S Yatsenko
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Halyna R Shcherbata
- Gene Expression and Signaling Group, Institute of Cell Biochemistry, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
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6
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Díaz-Torres A, Rosales-Nieves AE, Pearson JR, Santa-Cruz Mateos C, Marín-Menguiano M, Marshall OJ, Brand AH, González-Reyes A. Stem cell niche organization in the Drosophila ovary requires the ECM component Perlecan. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1744-1753.e5. [PMID: 33621481 PMCID: PMC8405445 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments or niches that balance stem cell proliferation and differentiation.1,2 The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential component of most niches, because it controls niche homeostasis, provides physical support, and conveys extracellular signals.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Basement membranes (BMs) are thin ECM sheets that are constituted mainly by Laminins, Perlecan, Collagen IV, and Entactin/Nidogen and surround epithelia and other tissues.12 Perlecans are secreted proteoglycans that interact with ECM proteins, ligands, receptors, and growth factors such as FGF, PDGF, VEGF, Hedgehog, and Wingless.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 Thus, Perlecans have structural and signaling functions through the binding, storage, or sequestering of specific ligands. We have used the Drosophila ovary to assess the importance of Perlecan in the functioning of a stem cell niche. Ovarioles in the adult ovary are enveloped by an ECM sheath and possess a tapered structure at their anterior apex termed the germarium. The anterior tip of the germarium hosts the germline niche, where two to four germline stem cells (GSCs) reside together with a few somatic cells: terminal filament cells (TFCs), cap cells (CpCs), and escort cells (ECs).19 We report that niche architecture in the developing gonad requires trol, that niche cells secrete an isoform-specific Perlecan-rich interstitial matrix, and that DE-cadherin-dependent stem cell-niche adhesion necessitates trol. Hence, we provide evidence to support a structural role for Perlecan in germline niche establishment during larval stages and in the maintenance of a normal pool of stem cells in the adult niche. The Drosophila ovarian niche contains a Perlecan-rich interstitial matrix Niche cells express and secrete specific Perlecan isoforms Absence of trol results in aberrant niches containing fewer niche and stem cells trol regulates DE-cadherin levels in larval and adult niche cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonsa Díaz-Torres
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alicia E Rosales-Nieves
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - John R Pearson
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carmen Santa-Cruz Mateos
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Miriam Marín-Menguiano
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Owen J Marshall
- The Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Andrea H Brand
- The Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Acaimo González-Reyes
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide/JA, Carretera de Utrera km 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
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7
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Ogienko AA, Yarinich LA, Fedorova EV, Dorogova NV, Bayborodin SI, Baricheva EM, Pindyurin AV. GAGA Regulates Border Cell Migration in Drosophila. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7468. [PMID: 33050455 PMCID: PMC7589894 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Collective cell migration is a complex process that happens during normal development of many multicellular organisms, as well as during oncological transformations. In Drosophila oogenesis, a small set of follicle cells originally located at the anterior tip of each egg chamber become motile and migrate as a cluster through nurse cells toward the oocyte. These specialized cells are referred to as border cells (BCs) and provide a simple and convenient model system to study collective cell migration. The process is known to be complexly regulated at different levels and the product of the slow border cells (slbo) gene, the C/EBP transcription factor, is one of the key elements in this process. However, little is known about the regulation of slbo expression. On the other hand, the ubiquitously expressed transcription factor GAGA, which is encoded by the Trithorax-like (Trl) gene was previously demonstrated to be important for Drosophila oogenesis. Here, we found that Trl mutations cause substantial defects in BC migration. Partially, these defects are explained by the reduced level of slbo expression in BCs. Additionally, a strong genetic interaction between Trl and slbo mutants, along with the presence of putative GAGA binding sites within the slbo promoter and enhancer, suggests the direct regulation of this gene by GAGA. This idea is supported by the reduction in the slbo-Gal4-driven GFP expression within BC clusters in Trl mutant background. However, the inability of slbo overexpression to compensate defects in BC migration caused by Trl mutations suggests that there are other GAGA target genes contributing to this process. Taken together, the results define GAGA as another important regulator of BC migration in Drosophila oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Ogienko
- Department of the Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Lyubov A. Yarinich
- Department of the Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena V. Fedorova
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (E.V.F.); (N.V.D.); (S.I.B.); (E.M.B.)
| | - Natalya V. Dorogova
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (E.V.F.); (N.V.D.); (S.I.B.); (E.M.B.)
| | - Sergey I. Bayborodin
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (E.V.F.); (N.V.D.); (S.I.B.); (E.M.B.)
| | - Elina M. Baricheva
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (E.V.F.); (N.V.D.); (S.I.B.); (E.M.B.)
| | - Alexey V. Pindyurin
- Department of the Regulation of Genetic Processes, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
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8
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Willink B, Duryea MC, Wheat C, Svensson EI. Changes in gene expression during female reproductive development in a color polymorphic insect. Evolution 2020; 74:1063-1081. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Willink
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
- Current Address: School of BiologyUniversity of Costa Rica San José 11501–2060 Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Erik I. Svensson
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Ecology BuildingLund University Lund 223–62 Sweden
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9
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Jevitt A, Chatterjee D, Xie G, Wang XF, Otwell T, Huang YC, Deng WM. A single-cell atlas of adult Drosophila ovary identifies transcriptional programs and somatic cell lineage regulating oogenesis. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000538. [PMID: 32339165 PMCID: PMC7205450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Oogenesis is a complex developmental process that involves spatiotemporally regulated coordination between the germline and supporting, somatic cell populations. This process has been modeled extensively using the Drosophila ovary. Although different ovarian cell types have been identified through traditional means, the large-scale expression profiles underlying each cell type remain unknown. Using single-cell RNA sequencing technology, we have built a transcriptomic data set for the adult Drosophila ovary and connected tissues. Using this data set, we identified the transcriptional trajectory of the entire follicle-cell population over the course of their development from stem cells to the oogenesis-to-ovulation transition. We further identify expression patterns during essential developmental events that take place in somatic and germline cell types such as differentiation, cell-cycle switching, migration, symmetry breaking, nurse-cell engulfment, egg-shell formation, and corpus luteum signaling. Extensive experimental validation of unique expression patterns in both ovarian and nearby, nonovarian cells also led to the identification of many new cell type-and stage-specific markers. The inclusion of several nearby tissue types in this data set also led to our identification of functional convergence in expression between distantly related cell types such as the immune-related genes that were similarly expressed in immune cells (hemocytes) and ovarian somatic cells (stretched cells) during their brief phagocytic role in nurse-cell engulfment. Taken together, these findings provide new insight into the temporal regulation of genes in a cell-type specific manner during oogenesis and begin to reveal the relatedness in expression between cell and tissues types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Jevitt
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Deeptiman Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Gengqiang Xie
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Xian-Feng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Taylor Otwell
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yi-Chun Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Wu-Min Deng
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
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10
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Akishina AA, Vorontsova JE, Cherezov RO, Slezinger MS, Simonova OB, Kuzin BA. NAP Family CG5017 Chaperone Pleiotropically Regulates Human AHR Target Genes Expression in Drosophila Testis. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010118. [PMID: 30597983 PMCID: PMC6337364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the regulatory mechanism of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), target genes of transcription are necessary for understanding the normal developmental and pathological processes. Here, we examined the effects of human AHR ligands on male fecundity. To induce ectopic human AhR gene expression, we used Drosophilamelanogaster transformed with human AhR under the control of a yeast UAS promoter element capable of activation in the two-component UAS-GAL4 system. We found that exogenous AHR ligands decrease the number of Drosophila gonadal Tj-positive cells. We also found both an increase and decrease of AHR target gene expression, including in genes that control homeostasis and testis development. This suggests that gonadal AHR activation may affect the expression of gene networks that control sperm production and could be critical for fertility not just in Drosophila but also in humans. Finally, we found that the activation of the expression for some AHR target genes depends on the expression of testis-specific chaperone CG5017 in gonadal cells. Since CG5017 belongs to the nucleosome assembly protein (NAP) family and may participate in epigenetic regulation, we propose that this nucleotropic chaperone is essential to provide the human AHR with access to only the defined set of its target genes during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina A Akishina
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Julia E Vorontsova
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Roman O Cherezov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Mikhail S Slezinger
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Olga B Simonova
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | - Boris A Kuzin
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vavilova str. 26, Moscow 119991, Russia.
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11
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Specification and spatial arrangement of cells in the germline stem cell niche of the Drosophila ovary depend on the Maf transcription factor Traffic jam. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006790. [PMID: 28542174 PMCID: PMC5459507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Germline stem cells in the Drosophila ovary are maintained by a somatic niche. The niche is structurally and functionally complex and contains four cell types, the escort, cap, and terminal filament cells and the newly identified transition cell. We find that the large Maf transcription factor Traffic jam (Tj) is essential for determining niche cell fates and architecture, enabling each niche in the ovary to support a normal complement of 2–3 germline stem cells. In particular, we focused on the question of how cap cells form. Cap cells express Tj and are considered the key component of a mature germline stem cell niche. We conclude that Tj controls the specification of cap cells, as the complete loss of Tj function caused the development of additional terminal filament cells at the expense of cap cells, and terminal filament cells developed cap cell characteristics when induced to express Tj. Further, we propose that Tj controls the morphogenetic behavior of cap cells as they adopted the shape and spatial organization of terminal filament cells but otherwise appeared to retain their fate when Tj expression was only partially reduced. Our data indicate that Tj contributes to the establishment of germline stem cells by promoting the cap cell fate, and controls the stem cell-carrying capacity of the niche by regulating niche architecture. Analysis of the interactions between Tj and the Notch (N) pathway indicates that Tj and N have distinct functions in the cap cell specification program. We propose that formation of cap cells depends on the combined activities of Tj and the N pathway, with Tj promoting the cap cell fate by blocking the terminal filament cell fate, and N supporting cap cells by preventing the escort cell fate and/or controlling the number of cap cell precursors. Establishment and maintenance of stem cells often depends on associated niche cells. The germline stem cell niche of the Drosophila ovary has been a long-standing model for the analysis of the interactions between stem cells and niche cells. Surprisingly little is known, however, about the mechanisms that pattern this niche, leading to the specification of different niche cell types and to their distinct arrangement around the stem cells. The observation that Tj is expressed at different levels in the different cell types of the niche motivated us to ask what contribution this transcription factor makes to the formation of the niche. Our data suggest that Tj activity is needed for the presence of escort cells and for the correct specification of cap cells but appears to be dispensable for the formation of terminal filament cells in the germline stem cell niche. Moreover, our analysis indicates that the establishment of the cap cell fate depends on the cooperation between Tj and the N signaling pathway. We conclude that Tj regulates the germline stem cell carrying capacity of the niche by controlling the fate and the spatial arrangement of niche cells.
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Lai CM, Lin KY, Kao SH, Chen YN, Huang F, Hsu HJ. Hedgehog signaling establishes precursors for germline stem cell niches by regulating cell adhesion. J Cell Biol 2017; 216:1439-1453. [PMID: 28363970 PMCID: PMC5412570 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201610063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells require different types of supporting cells, or niches, to control stem cell maintenance and differentiation. However, little is known about how those niches are formed. We report that in the development of the Drosophila melanogaster ovary, the Hedgehog (Hh) gradient sets differential cell affinity for somatic gonadal precursors to specify stromal intermingled cells, which contributes to both germline stem cell maintenance and differentiation niches in the adult. We also report that Traffic Jam (an orthologue of a large Maf transcription factor in mammals) is a novel transcriptional target of Hh signaling to control cell-cell adhesion by negative regulation of E-cadherin expression. Our results demonstrate the role of Hh signaling in niche establishment by segregating somatic cell lineages for differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ming Lai
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung-Hsing University, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Yang Lin
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung-Hsing University, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Han Kao
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ning Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Fu Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Hwei-Jan Hsu
- Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung-Hsing University, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung-Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
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13
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Saadin A, Starz-Gaiano M. Circuitous Genetic Regulation Governs a Straightforward Cell Migration. Trends Genet 2016; 32:660-673. [PMID: 27600524 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila border cells undergo a straightforward and stereotypical collective migration during egg development. However, a complex genetic program underlies this process. A variety of approaches, including biochemical, genetic, and imaging strategies have identified many regulatory components, revealing layers of control. This complexity suggests that the active processes of evaluating the environment, remodeling the cytoskeleton, and coordinating movements among cells, demand rapid systems for modulating cell behaviors. Multiple signaling inputs, nodes of integration, and feedback loops act as molecular rheostats to fine-tune gene expression levels and physical responses. Since key genetic regulators of border cell migration have been shown to be required in other types of cell migration, this model system continues to provide an important avenue for genetic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afsoon Saadin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Michelle Starz-Gaiano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
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Anllo L, Schüpbach T. Signaling through the G-protein-coupled receptor Rickets is important for polarity, detachment, and migration of the border cells in Drosophila. Dev Biol 2016; 414:193-206. [PMID: 27130192 PMCID: PMC4887387 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cell migration plays crucial roles during development. An excellent model to study coordinated cell movements is provided by the migration of border cell clusters within a developing Drosophila egg chamber. In a mutagenesis screen, we isolated two alleles of the gene rickets (rk) encoding a G-protein-coupled receptor. The rk alleles result in border cell migration defects in a significant fraction of egg chambers. In rk mutants, border cells are properly specified and express the marker Slbo. Yet, analysis of both fixed as well as live samples revealed that some single border cells lag behind the main border cell cluster during migration, or, in other cases, the entire border cell cluster can remain tethered to the anterior epithelium as it migrates. These defects are observed significantly more often in mosaic border cell clusters, than in full mutant clusters. Reduction of the Rk ligand, Bursicon, in the border cell cluster also resulted in migration defects, strongly suggesting that Rk signaling is utilized for communication within the border cell cluster itself. The mutant border cell clusters show defects in localization of the adhesion protein E-cadherin, and apical polarity proteins during migration. E-cadherin mislocalization occurs in mosaic clusters, but not in full mutant clusters, correlating well with the rk border cell migration phenotype. Our work has identified a receptor with a previously unknown role in border cell migration that appears to regulate detachment and polarity of the border cell cluster coordinating processes within the cells of the cluster themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Anllo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Trudi Schüpbach
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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15
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Xiang W, Zhang D, Montell DJ. Tousled-like kinase regulates cytokine-mediated communication between cooperating cell types during collective border cell migration. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 27:12-9. [PMID: 26510500 PMCID: PMC4694751 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-05-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tousled-like kinase is required for signaling between polar cells and border cells in the Drosophila ovary, thus controlling their collective migration. Tlk knockdown in polar cells inhibits cytokine expression without affecting polar cell fate or viability. This study shows novel, cell type–specific functions for this ubiquitous nuclear protein. Collective cell migration is emerging as a major contributor to normal development and disease. Collective movement of border cells in the Drosophila ovary requires cooperation between two distinct cell types: four to six migratory cells surrounding two immotile cells called polar cells. Polar cells secrete a cytokine, Unpaired (Upd), which activates JAK/STAT signaling in neighboring cells, stimulating their motility. Without Upd, migration fails, causing sterility. Ectopic Upd expression is sufficient to stimulate motility in otherwise immobile cells. Thus regulation of Upd is key. Here we report a limited RNAi screen for nuclear proteins required for border cell migration, which revealed that the gene encoding Tousled-like kinase (Tlk) is required in polar cells for Upd expression without affecting polar cell fate. In the absence of Tlk, fewer border cells are recruited and motility is impaired, similar to inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling. We further show that Tlk in polar cells is required for JAK/STAT activation in border cells. Genetic interactions further confirmed Tlk as a new regulator of Upd/JAK/STAT signaling. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms regulating the cooperation of motile and nonmotile cells during collective invasion, a phenomenon that may also drive metastatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Xiang
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Dabing Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Denise J Montell
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
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16
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Wingert L, DiNardo S. Traffic jam functions in a branched pathway from Notch activation to niche cell fate. Development 2015; 142:2268-77. [PMID: 26092848 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The niche directs key behaviors of its resident stem cells, and is thus crucial for tissue maintenance, repair and longevity. However, little is known about the genetic pathways that guide niche specification and development. The male germline stem cell niche in Drosophila houses two stem cell populations and is specified within the embryonic gonad, thus making it an excellent model for studying niche development. The hub cells that form the niche are specified early by Notch activation. Over the next few hours, these individual cells then cluster together and take up a defined position before expressing markers of hub cell differentiation. This timing suggests that there are other factors for niche development yet to be defined. Here, we have identified a role for the large Maf transcription factor Traffic jam (Tj) in hub cell specification downstream of Notch. Tj downregulation is the first detectable effect of Notch activation in hub cells. Furthermore, Tj depletion is sufficient to generate ectopic hub cells that can recruit stem cells. Surprisingly, ectopic niche cells in tj mutants remain dispersed in the absence of Notch activation. This led us to uncover a branched pathway downstream of Notch in which Bowl functions to direct hub cell assembly in parallel to Tj downregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Wingert
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Stephen DiNardo
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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17
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Escobar DJ, Desai R, Ishiyama N, Folmsbee SS, Novak MN, Flozak AS, Daugherty RL, Mo R, Nanavati D, Sarpal R, Leckband D, Ikura M, Tepass U, Gottardi CJ. α-Catenin phosphorylation promotes intercellular adhesion through a dual-kinase mechanism. J Cell Sci 2015; 128:1150-65. [PMID: 25653389 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.163824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cadherin-catenin adhesion complex is a key contributor to epithelial tissue stability and dynamic cell movements during development and tissue renewal. How this complex is regulated to accomplish these functions is not fully understood. We identified several phosphorylation sites in mammalian αE-catenin (also known as catenin α-1) and Drosophila α-Catenin within a flexible linker located between the middle (M)-region and the carboxy-terminal actin-binding domain. We show that this phospho-linker (P-linker) is the main phosphorylated region of α-catenin in cells and is sequentially modified at casein kinase 2 and 1 consensus sites. In Drosophila, the P-linker is required for normal α-catenin function during development and collective cell migration, although no obvious defects were found in cadherin-catenin complex assembly or adherens junction formation. In mammalian cells, non-phosphorylatable forms of α-catenin showed defects in intercellular adhesion using a mechanical dispersion assay. Epithelial sheets expressing phosphomimetic forms of α-catenin showed faster and more coordinated migrations after scratch wounding. These findings suggest that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of the α-catenin P-linker are required for normal cadherin-catenin complex function in Drosophila and mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Escobar
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA The Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ridhdhi Desai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5 Canada
| | - Noboru Ishiyama
- University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2M9, Canada
| | - Stephen S Folmsbee
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA The Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Megan N Novak
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA The Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Annette S Flozak
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rebecca L Daugherty
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA The Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rigen Mo
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Dhaval Nanavati
- Department of Chemistry of Life Processes, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ritu Sarpal
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5 Canada
| | - Deborah Leckband
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Mitsu Ikura
- University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2M9, Canada
| | - Ulrich Tepass
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5 Canada
| | - Cara J Gottardi
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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18
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Gunawan F, Arandjelovic M, Godt D. The Maf factor Traffic jam both enables and inhibits collective cell migration in Drosophila oogenesis. J Cell Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.136564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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