Developmental analysis of the ovarian tumor gene during Drosophila oogenesis.
Severe alleles of the ovarian tumor (otu) and ovo genes result in female sterility in Drosophila melanogaster, producing adult ovaries that completely lack egg chambers. We examined the developmental stage in which the agametic phenotype first becomes apparent. Germ cell development in embryos was studied using a strategy that allowed simultaneous labeling of pole cells with the determination of embryonic genotype. We found that ovo- or otu- XX embryonic germ cells were indistinguishable in number and morphology from those present in wild-type siblings. The effects of the mutations were not consistently manifested in the female germline until pupariation, and there was no evidence that either gene was required for germ cell viability at earlier stages of development. The requirement for otu function in the pupal and adult ovary is supported by temperature-shift experiments using a heat-inducible otu gene construct. We demonstrate that otu activity limited to prepupal stages was not sufficient to support oogenesis, while induction during the pupal and adult periods caused suppression of the otu mutant phenotype.
Rodesch
C
C
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Geyer
P K
PK
Patton
J S
JS
Bae
E
E
Nagoshi
R N
RN
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002470:Cell Survival; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017344:Genes, Insect; D005854:Germ Cells; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva; D009154:Mutation; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015053:Zygote
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; C061992:otu protein, Drosophila; C089512:ovo protein, Drosophila