Abstract
BackgroundDrosophila females commit tremendous resources to egg production and males produce some of the longest sperm in the animal kingdom. We know little about the coordinated regulation of gene expression patterns in distant somatic tissues that support the developmental cost of gamete production.ResultsWe determined the non-gonadal gene expression patterns of Drosophila females and males with or without a germline. Our results show that germline-dependent expression in the non-gonadal soma is extensive. Interestingly, gene expression patterns and hormone titers are consistent with a hormone axis between the gonads and non-gonadal soma.ConclusionsThe germline has a long-range influence on gene expression in the Drosophila sexes. We suggest that this is the result of a germline/soma hormonal axis.
Highlights
Drosophila females commit tremendous resources to egg production and males produce some of the longest sperm in the animal kingdom
In adult Drosophila, the majority of sexually dimorphic gene expression occurs within the germline, where it is likely dedicated to gamete production [3,4,5,6]
We have extended our previous study [6] to directly compare genotypically matched non-gonadal somatic tissue from flies that developed with a wildtype germline vs. progeny that develop in the absence of a functional germline
Summary
Drosophila females commit tremendous resources to egg production and males produce some of the longest sperm in the animal kingdom. Germline development results in two highly adapted and dimorphic cell types; eggs and sperm [1,2]. In adult Drosophila, the majority of sexually dimorphic gene expression occurs within the germline, where it is likely dedicated to gamete production [3,4,5,6]. Much of gamete development in Drosophila is gonad autonomous (a combination of the germline and proximal somatic support tissues), gene products expressed in non-gonadal somatic tissues are clearly required to support gamete development by mediating metabolism and behavior [7,8]. There is a clear role of non-gonadal and gonad communication in Drosophila and non-Drosophilid females to control egg development. Neurons in the fly brain that secrete insulin-like peptides regulate germline stem
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