Mutations of stonewall disrupt the maintenance of female germline stem cells in Drosophila melanogaster.
Germline stem cells located at the anterior tip of the adult Drosophila melanogaster ovary are critical to the continuous production of mature eggs. Following germline stem cell division, one daughter cell remains a stem cell, while the other becomes a cystoblast committed to differentiation. In this study it was shown that mutations in the putative transcription factor stonewall (stwl) disrupted the maintenance of female germline stem cells. The stwl mutations resulted in a loss of germline stem cells, causing a rapid decrease in egg chamber production. The egg chambers developed only to a limited extent before degenerating. The four mitotic cystocyte divisions were frequently inhibited by stwl mutations. Furthermore, some stwl germaria from newly emerged females completely lacked both stem cells and developing cysts and had a strong reduction in size. The argument is presented here that stwl is involved in the continuation of cell division during female germline development.
Akiyama
Takahiro
T
Laboratory of Cell Biology, Faculty of Environmental Health, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan. akiyama@azabu-u.ac.jp
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009866:Oogenesis; D020598:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D020598:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myb; D014157:Transcription Factors; C098675:stwl protein, Drosophila