Soma-germ line competition for lipid phosphate uptake regulates germ cell migration and survival.
Lipid phosphates can act as signaling molecules to influence cell division, apoptosis, and migration. wunen and wunen2 encode Drosophila lipid phosphate phosphohydrolases, integral membrane enzymes that dephosphorylate extracellular lipid phosphates. wun and wun2 act redundantly in somatic tissues to repel migrating germ cells, although the mechanism by which germ cells respond is unclear. Here, we report that wun2 also functions in germ cells, enabling them to perceive the wun/wun2-related signal from the soma. Upon Wun2 expression, cultured insect cells dephosphorylate and internalize exogenously supplied lipid phosphate. We propose that Drosophila germ cell migration and survival are controlled by competition for hydrolysis of a lipid phosphate between germ cells and soma.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Developmental Genetics Program, Skirball Institute and Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
A D
AD
Renault
Y J
YJ
Sigal
A J
AJ
Morris
R
R
Lehmann
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010711:Phosphatidate Phosphatase / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010710:Phosphates; D010743:Phospholipids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010711:Phosphatidate Phosphatase; C492536:Wun2 protein, Drosophila; C103065:wun protein, Drosophila