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Xiao Y, Huang B, Chen S, Lin Z, Zhu Z, Lu Y, Yu XQ, Wen L, Hu Q. Dual roles of α1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 in spermatogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38643371 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is critical for insect reproduction and the process is regulated by multiple genes. Glycosyltransferases have been shown to participate in the development of Drosophila melanogaster; however, their role in spermatogenesis is still unclear. In this study, we found that α1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 (α4GT1) was expressed at a significantly higher level in the testis than in the ovary of Drosophila. Importantly, the hatching rate was significantly decreased when α4GT1 RNA interference (RNAi) males were crossed with w1118 females, with only a few mature sperm being present in the seminal vesicle of α4GT1 RNAi flies. Immunofluorescence staining further revealed that the individualization complex (IC) in the testes from α4GT1 RNAi flies was scattered and did not move synchronically, compared with the clustered IC observed in the control flies. Terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay showed that apoptosis signals in the sperm bundles of α4GT1 RNAi flies were significantly increased. Moreover, the expression of several individualization-related genes, such as Shrub, Obp44a and Hanabi, was significantly decreased, whereas the expression of several apoptosis-related genes, including Dronc and Drice, was significantly increased in the testes of α4GT1 RNAi flies. Together, these results suggest that α4GT1 may play dual roles in Drosophila spermatogenesis by regulating the sperm individualization process and maintaining the survival of sperm bundles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sibo Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhikai Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiying Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuzhen Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qihao Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Application Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Li AYZ, Di Y, Rathore S, Chiang ACY, Jezek J, Ma H. Milton assembles large mitochondrial clusters, mitoballs, to sustain spermatogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306073120. [PMID: 37579146 PMCID: PMC10450580 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306073120] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that undergo frequent remodeling to accommodate developmental needs. Here, we describe a striking organization of mitochondria into a large ball-like structure adjacent to the nucleus in premeiotic Drosophila melanogaster spermatocytes, which we term "mitoball". Mitoballs are transient structures that colocalize with the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies, and the fusome. We observed similar premeiotic mitochondrial clusters in a wide range of insect species, including mosquitos and cockroaches. Through a genetic screen, we identified that Milton, an adaptor protein that links mitochondria to microtubule-based motors, mediates mitoball formation. Flies lacking a 54 amino acid region in the C terminus of Milton completely lacked mitoballs, had swollen mitochondria in their spermatocytes, and showed reduced male fertility. We suggest that the premeiotic mitochondrial clustering is a conserved feature of insect spermatogenesis that supports sperm development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy Y. Z. Li
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ying Di
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Sumaera Rathore
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ason C.-Y. Chiang
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, BirminghamB15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Jezek
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
| | - Hansong Ma
- Wellcome/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, CambridgeCB2 1QN, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3EH, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, BirminghamB15 2TT, United Kingdom
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Zheng Y, Mao B, Wang Q, Duan X, Chen MY, Shen W, Li C, Wang YF. Quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics reveal insights into mechanisms of ocnus function in Drosophila testis development. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:283. [PMID: 37237333 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09386-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testis is the only organ supporting sperm production and with the largest number of proteins and tissue-specific proteins in animals. In our previous studies, we have found that knockdown of ocnus (ocn), a testis-specific gene, resulted in much smaller testis with no germ cells in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the molecular consequences of ocn knockdown in fly testes are unknown. RESULTS In this study, through iTRAQ quantitative proteomics sequencing, 606 proteins were identified from fly abdomens as having a significant and at least a 1.5-fold change in expression after ocn knockdown in fly testes, of which 85 were up-regulated and 521 were down-regulated. Among the differential expressed proteins (DEPs), apart from those proteins involved in spermatogenesis, the others extensively affected biological processes of generation of precursor metabolites and energy, metabolic process, and mitochondrial transport. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses of DEPs showed that several kinases and/or phosphatases interacted with Ocn. Re-analyses of the transcriptome revealed 150 differential expressed genes (DEGs) appeared in the DEPs, and their changing trends in expressions after ocn knockdown were consistent. Many common down-regulated DEGs and DEPs were testis-specific or highly expressed in the testis of D. melanogaster. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed 12 genes appeared in both DEGs and DEPs were significantly down-regulated after ocn knockdown in fly testes. Furthermore, 153 differentially expressed phosphoproteins (DEPPs), including 72 up-regulated and 94 down-regulated phosphorylated proteins were also identified (13 phosphoproteins appeared in both up- and down-regulated groups due to having multiple phosphorylation sites). In addition to those DEPPs associated with spermatogenesis, the other DEPPs were enriched in actin filament-based process, protein folding, and mesoderm development. Some DEPs and DEPPs were involved in Notch, JAK/STAT, and cell death pathways. CONCLUSIONS Given the drastic effect of the ocn knockdown on tissue development and testis cells composition, the differences in protein abundance in the ocn knockdown flies might not necessarily be the direct result of differential gene regulation due to the inactivation of ocn. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the expression of ocn is essential for Drosophila testis development and that its down-regulation disturbs key signaling pathways related to cell survival and differentiation. These DEPs and DEPPs identified may provide significant candidate set for future studies on the mechanism of male reproduction of animals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Bin Mao
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Qian Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Xin Duan
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Meng-Yan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Wei Shen
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Chao Li
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Feng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, P. R. China.
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Price KL, Tharakan DM, Cooley L. Evolutionarily conserved midbody remodeling precedes ring canal formation during gametogenesis. Dev Cell 2023; 58:474-488.e5. [PMID: 36898376 PMCID: PMC10059090 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
How canonical cytokinesis is altered during germ cell division to produce stable intercellular bridges, called "ring canals," is poorly understood. Here, using time-lapse imaging in Drosophila, we observe that ring canal formation occurs through extensive remodeling of the germ cell midbody, a structure classically associated with its function in recruiting abscission-regulating proteins in complete cytokinesis. Germ cell midbody cores reorganize and join the midbody ring rather than being discarded, and this transition is accompanied by changes in centralspindlin dynamics. The midbody-to-ring canal transformation is conserved in the Drosophila male and female germlines and during mouse and Hydra spermatogenesis. In Drosophila, ring canal formation depends on Citron kinase function to stabilize the midbody, similar to its role during somatic cell cytokinesis. Our results provide important insights into the broader functions of incomplete cytokinesis events across biological systems, such as those observed during development and disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Price
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dyuthi M Tharakan
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lynn Cooley
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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5
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Diegmiller R, Imran Alsous J, Li D, Yamashita YM, Shvartsman SY. Fusome topology and inheritance during insect gametogenesis. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010875. [PMID: 36821548 PMCID: PMC9949678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
From insects to mammals, oocytes and sperm develop within germline cysts comprising cells connected by intercellular bridges (ICBs). In numerous insects, formation of the cyst is accompanied by growth of the fusome-a membranous organelle that permeates the cyst. Fusome composition and function are best understood in Drosophila melanogaster: during oogenesis, the fusome dictates cyst topology and size and facilitates oocyte selection, while during spermatogenesis, the fusome synchronizes the cyst's response to DNA damage. Despite its distinct and sex-specific roles during insect gametogenesis, elucidating fusome growth and inheritance in females and its structure and connectivity in males has remained challenging. Here, we take advantage of advances in three-dimensional (3D) confocal microscopy and computational image processing tools to reconstruct the topology, growth, and distribution of the fusome in both sexes. In females, our experimental findings inform a theoretical model for fusome assembly and inheritance and suggest that oocyte selection proceeds through an 'equivalency with a bias' mechanism. In males, we find that cell divisions can deviate from the maximally branched pattern observed in females, leading to greater topological variability. Our work consolidates existing disjointed experimental observations and contributes a readily generalizable computational approach for quantitative studies of gametogenesis within and across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocky Diegmiller
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jasmin Imran Alsous
- Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Duojia Li
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yukiko M. Yamashita
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stanislav Y. Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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Gerhold AR, Labbé JC, Singh R. Uncoupling cell division and cytokinesis during germline development in metazoans. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1001689. [PMID: 36407108 PMCID: PMC9669650 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1001689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical eukaryotic cell cycle ends with cytokinesis, which physically divides the mother cell in two and allows the cycle to resume in the newly individualized daughter cells. However, during germline development in nearly all metazoans, dividing germ cells undergo incomplete cytokinesis and germ cells stay connected by intercellular bridges which allow the exchange of cytoplasm and organelles between cells. The near ubiquity of incomplete cytokinesis in animal germ lines suggests that this is an ancient feature that is fundamental for the development and function of this tissue. While cytokinesis has been studied for several decades, the mechanisms that enable regulated incomplete cytokinesis in germ cells are only beginning to emerge. Here we review the current knowledge on the regulation of germ cell intercellular bridge formation, focusing on findings made using mouse, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans as experimental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R. Gerhold
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Abigail R. Gerhold, ; Jean-Claude Labbé,
| | - Jean-Claude Labbé
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Université de Montréal, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Abigail R. Gerhold, ; Jean-Claude Labbé,
| | - Ramya Singh
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Montréal, QC, Canada
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Diegmiller R, Nunley H, Shvartsman SY, Imran Alsous J. Quantitative models for building and growing fated small cell networks. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20210082. [PMID: 35865502 PMCID: PMC9184967 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2021.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell clusters exhibit numerous phenomena typically associated with complex systems, such as division of labour and programmed cell death. A conserved class of such clusters occurs during oogenesis in the form of germline cysts that give rise to oocytes. Germline cysts form through cell divisions with incomplete cytokinesis, leaving cells intimately connected through intercellular bridges that facilitate cyst generation, cell fate determination and collective growth dynamics. Using the well-characterized Drosophila melanogaster female germline cyst as a foundation, we present mathematical models rooted in the dynamics of cell cycle proteins and their interactions to explain the generation of germline cell lineage trees (CLTs) and highlight the diversity of observed CLT sizes and topologies across species. We analyse competing models of symmetry breaking in CLTs to rationalize the observed dynamics and robustness of oocyte fate specification, and highlight remaining gaps in knowledge. We also explore how CLT topology affects cell cycle dynamics and synchronization and highlight mechanisms of intercellular coupling that underlie the observed collective growth patterns during oogenesis. Throughout, we point to similarities across organisms that warrant further investigation and comment on the extent to which experimental and theoretical findings made in model systems extend to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocky Diegmiller
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Hayden Nunley
- Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stanislav Y. Shvartsman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA,Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
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Microtubule and Actin Cytoskeletal Dynamics in Male Meiotic Cells of Drosophila melanogaster. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040695. [PMID: 35203341 PMCID: PMC8870657 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Drosophila dividing spermatocytes offer a highly suitable cell system in which to investigate the coordinated reorganization of microtubule and actin cytoskeleton systems during cell division of animal cells. Like male germ cells of mammals, Drosophila spermatogonia and spermatocytes undergo cleavage furrow ingression during cytokinesis, but abscission does not take place. Thus, clusters of primary and secondary spermatocytes undergo meiotic divisions in synchrony, resulting in cysts of 32 secondary spermatocytes and then 64 spermatids connected by specialized structures called ring canals. The meiotic spindles in Drosophila males are substantially larger than the spindles of mammalian somatic cells and exhibit prominent central spindles and contractile rings during cytokinesis. These characteristics make male meiotic cells particularly amenable to immunofluorescence and live imaging analysis of the spindle microtubules and the actomyosin apparatus during meiotic divisions. Moreover, because the spindle assembly checkpoint is not robust in spermatocytes, Drosophila male meiosis allows investigating of whether gene products required for chromosome segregation play additional roles during cytokinesis. Here, we will review how the research studies on Drosophila male meiotic cells have contributed to our knowledge of the conserved molecular pathways that regulate spindle microtubules and cytokinesis with important implications for the comprehension of cancer and other diseases.
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Communal living: the role of polyploidy and syncytia in tissue biology. Chromosome Res 2021; 29:245-260. [PMID: 34075512 PMCID: PMC8169410 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-021-09664-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular organisms are composed of tissues with diverse cell sizes. Whether a tissue primarily consists of numerous, small cells as opposed to fewer, large cells can impact tissue development and function. The addition of nuclear genome copies within a common cytoplasm is a recurring strategy to manipulate cellular size within a tissue. Cells with more than two genomes can exist transiently, such as in developing germlines or embryos, or can be part of mature somatic tissues. Such nuclear collectives span multiple levels of organization, from mononuclear or binuclear polyploid cells to highly multinucleate structures known as syncytia. Here, we review the diversity of polyploid and syncytial tissues found throughout nature. We summarize current literature concerning tissue construction through syncytia and/or polyploidy and speculate why one or both strategies are advantageous.
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