GSE137956
RNA helicase Belle (DDX3) non-autonomously suppresses germ cell tumorigenesis in the testes of Drosophila via regulation of multiple mRNAs
DEAD-box RNA helicases DDX3 are important developmental regulators of multiple aspects of RNA metabolism of eukaryotes. belle, a single DDX3 ortholog in Drosophila, is essential for fly viability, fertility, and germline stem cell maintenance. Here we showed that RNAi belle knockdown in testis cyst cells caused a disruption of adhesion between germ cells and cyst cells and a generation of tumor-like clusters of stem-like germ cells. Ectopic expression of ß-integrin in cyst cells rescued early stages of spermatogenesis in the belle knockdown testes, indicating that integrin adhesion complexes are required for interaction between somatic and germ cells in cyst. To address in details Belle functions in spermatogenesis we performed CLIP-seq analysis and identified multiple mRNAs which interacted with Belle in the testes. A set of Belle targets includes mRNAs of factors that are essential for preventing tumor-like cluster formation of early germ cells and ensuring of sustained gametogenesis. Overall design: CLIP-seq to identify target genes of belle (DDX3) in Drosophila testes