Abstract
Gap junctions coordinate processes ranging from muscle contraction to ovarian follicle development. Here we show that the gap junction protein Zero population growth (Zpg) is required for germ cell differentiation in the Drosophila ovary. In the absence of Zpg the stem cell daughter destined to differentiate dies. The zpg phenotype is novel, and we used this phenotype to genetically dissect the process of stem cell maintenance and differentiation. Our findings suggest that germ line stem cells differentiate upon losing contact with their niche, that gap junction mediated cell-cell interactions are required for germ cell differentiation, and that in Drosophila germ line stem cell differentiation to a cystoblast is gradual.
Highlights
Stem cells can self-renew and generate differentiated progeny
Our results suggest that zpg may be necessary for the differentiation process itself, as well as for survival of differentiated germ cells, and that zpg probably acts in parallel to bam and bgcn
We further show that the differentiation of the germ-line stem cells (GSCs) to a cystoblast is gradual, and that many of the germ cells in ‘stem cell tumors’ caused either by strong mutations in bam or by overexpression of Dpp may be at an intermediate state between GSCs and cystoblasts
Summary
Stem cells can self-renew and generate differentiated progeny Both of these aspects must be tightly regulated for the correct development and maintenance of many tissues. Communication between stem cells and their niche have been shown to require secretion of extracellular matrix signaling molecules, and interaction via membrane proteins (Spradling et al, 2001; Watt and Hogan, 2000). Decapentaplegic (Dpp), Piwi, Fs(1)Yb and Hedgehog, control GSC or somatic stem cell maintenance and are expressed in different subsets of niche cells (Cox et al, 1998; Cox et al, 2000; Forbes et al, 1996; King and Lin, 1999; King et al, 2001; Xie and Spradling, 1998; Xie and Spradling, 2000b). The targets and partners of Pumilio within GSCs are unknown
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