\u03b1-Tubulin Regulates the Fate of Germline Stem Cells in Drosophila Testis

Xiaoqian Tao,Shan Lu,Dongsheng Chen,Guangyu Huang,Mingzhong Sun,Yunqiao Dou

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-90116-7

Abstract

The Drosophila testis provides an exemplary model for analyzing the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate the fate of stem cell in vivo. Using this model, we show that the Drosophila αTub67C gene (full name αTubulin at 67C), which encodes α4-Tubulin (a type of α-Tubulin), plays a new role in controlling the fate of male germline stem cells (GSC). In this study, we have found that Drosophila α4-Tubulin is required intrinsically and extrinsically for GSCs maintenance. Results from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transgene reporter assays show that the gene αTub67C is not required for Dpp/Gbb signaling silencing of bam expression, suggesting that αTub67C functions downstream of or parallel to bam, and is independent of Gbb/Dpp-bam signaling pathway. Furthermore, overexpression of αTub67C fails to obviously increase the number of GSC/Gonialblast (GB). Given that the α-tubulin genes are evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human, which triggers us to study the more roles of the gene α-tubulin in other animals in the future.

Highlights

The Drosophila testis provides an exemplary model for analyzing the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate the fate of stem cell in vivo
Recent studies show that Hedgehog (Hh) signaling activity in cyst stem cells (CySC) positively regulates Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling activity in Drosophila testis to maintaining germline stem cells (GSC), and the loss of Hh signaling in CySCs leads to precocious differentiation of G SCs14
Through genetic crosses, the testes of mutant flies collected at days 1, 7 and 14 after eclosion were stained with anti-Fas III, antiVasa and anti-Hts antibodies, and the number of GSCs was measured

Summary

Introduction

The Drosophila testis provides an exemplary model for analyzing the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate the fate of stem cell in vivo. Using this model, we show that the Drosophila αTub67C gene (full name αTubulin at 67C), which encodes α4-Tubulin (a type of α-Tubulin), plays a new role in controlling the fate of male germline stem cells (GSC). Germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila testis provide an excellent model for studying of the mechanisms of ASCs fate determination in vivo 3. Recent studies show that Hedgehog (Hh) signaling activity in CySCs positively regulates BMP signaling activity in Drosophila testis to maintaining GSCs, and the loss of Hh signaling in CySCs leads to precocious differentiation of G SCs14. Some intrinsic factors that regulate the testis GSCs fate in Drosophila have been identified, such as Nop60B, DBHD, Lola, Piwi, Gilgamesh and Maf-S15–20

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Results

Conclusion