title: Regulation of pattern formation and gene amplification during Drosophila oogenesis by the miR-318 microRNA.
abstract: Pattern formation during epithelial development requires the coordination of multiple signaling pathways. Here, we investigate the functions of an ovary-enriched miRNA, miR-318, in epithelial development during Drosophila oogenesis. mir-318 maternal loss-of-function mutants were female-sterile and laid eggs with abnormal morphology. Removal of mir-318 disrupted the dorsal-anterior follicle cell patterning, resulting in abnormal dorsal appendages. mir-318 mutant females also produced thin and fragile eggshells due to impaired chorion gene amplification. We provide evidence that the ecdysone signaling pathway activates expression of miR-318 and that miR-318 cooperates with Tramtrack69 to control the switch from endocycling to chorion gene amplification during differentiation of the follicular epithelium. The multiple functions of miR-318 in oogenesis illustrate the importance of miRNAs in maintaining cell fate and in promoting the developmental transition in the female follicular epithelium.
authors: Institute of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 310058 wanzhongge@zju.edu.cn.
authors: Wanzhong
authors: W
authors: Ge
authors: Institute of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 310058.
authors: Qiannan
authors: Q
authors: Deng
authors: Institute of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 310058.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Guo
authors: Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Hong
authors: Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673.
authors: Jan-Michael
authors: JM
authors: Kugler
authors: Institute of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 310058.
authors: Xiaohang
authors: X
authors: Yang
authors: Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore 138673 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543.
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D009866:Oogenesis; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C075878:ttk protein, Drosophila
keywords: gene amplification; miR-318; pattern formation