Stem cells and their niches: integrated units that maintain Drosophila tissues.

The genetic analysis of four distinct Drosophila stem cells and their niches has revealed principles of stem cell biology that are likely to apply widely. A stem cell and its niche act together as integral parts of a system that supplies replacement cells when and where they are needed within a tissue. Stem cell/niche units are highly regulated and continue to operate despite the periodic turnover and replacement of all of their component cells. To successfully respond to tissue needs, these units receive and process a wide range of local and systemic information. A stem cell alone would be no more use at this task than an isolated neuron. It is only when integrated into a system of multiple interacting cells (the niche) that stem cells achieve the capacity to serve as the fundamental units of tissue homeostasis and repair.

Stem cells find their niche.

The concept that stem cells are controlled by particular microenvironments known as 'niches' has been widely invoked. But niches have remained largely a theoretical construct because of the difficulty of identifying and manipulating individual stem cells and their surroundings. Technical advances now make it possible to characterize small zones that maintain and control stem cell activity in several organs, including gonads, skin and gut. These studies are beginning to unify our understanding of stem cell regulation at the cellular and molecular levels, and promise to advance efforts to use stem cells therapeutically.

The receptor-like tyrosine phosphatase lar is required for epithelial planar polarity and for axis determination within drosophila ovarian follicles.

The follicle cell monolayer that encircles each developing Drosophila oocyte contributes actively to egg development and patterning, and also represents a model stem cell-derived epithelium. We have identified mutations in the receptor-like transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase Lar that disorganize follicle formation, block egg chamber elongation and disrupt Oskar localization, which is an indicator of oocyte anterior-posterior polarity. Alterations in actin filament organization correlate with these defects. Actin filaments in the basal follicle cell domain normally become polarized during stage 6 around the anterior-posterior axis defined by the polar cells, but mutations in Lar frequently disrupt polar cell differentiation and actin polarization. Lar function is only needed in somatic cells, and (for Oskar localization) its action is autonomous to posterior follicle cells. Polarity signals may be laid down by these cells within the extracellular matrix (ECM), possibly in the distribution of the candidate Lar ligand Laminin A, and read out at the time Oskar is localized in a Lar-dependent manner. Lar is not required autonomously to polarize somatic cell actin during stages 6. We show that Lar acts somatically early in oogenesis, during follicle formation, and postulate that it functions in germarium intercyst cells that are required for polar cell specification and differentiation. Our studies suggest that positional information can be stored transiently in the ECM. A major function of Lar may be to transduce such signals.

The nuclear location and chromatin organization of active chorion amplification origins.

It remains unclear how certain regions on metazoan chromosomes are selected to initiate DNA replication. In recent years a number of origins of DNA replication have been mapped, but there is still no DNA consensus for predicting where replication will initiate. Evidence suggests that the higher order structure of the nucleus and chromosome influences origin activity. Chromosomal DNA replication is proposed to occur in special compartments in the nucleus called replication foci. Foci in different regions of the nucleus initiate replication at different times of S-phase, suggesting nuclear position may contribute to where and when replication begins. Here we test the contribution of nuclear compartments for well-defined origins, those involved in amplification of the chorion (eggshell) genes during Drosophila oogenesis. The results of three-dimensional confocal microscopy indicate that chorion DNA replication origins are highly active in diverse positions within the nucleus. We also find that chorion replication origins inserted at ectopic chromosomal sites can amplify highly in diverse nuclear locations distinct from the endogenous loci, including when they are buffered against genomic position effects. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization to analyze chromosome structure during amplification. Contrary to the replication factory model, we find no evidence for spooling of DNA toward a replication center. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding the role of higher order structure in amplification and chromosome duplication.

Mouse ovarian germ cell cysts undergo programmed breakdown to form primordial follicles.

In many organisms, early germline development takes place within cysts of interconnected cells that form by incomplete cytokinesis and later undergo programmed breakdown. We recently identified similar cell clusters within the fetal mouse ovary, but the fate and functional significance of these germ cell cysts remained unclear. Here, we show that mouse cysts undergo programmed breakdown between 20.5-22.5 dpc, during which approximately 33% of the oocytes survive to form primordial follicles. This process accounts for most of the perinatal reduction in germ cell numbers and germ cell apoptosis reported by previous authors, and suggests that perinatal germ cell loss is a developmentally regulated process that is distinct from the follicular atresia that occurs during adult life. Our observations also suggest a novel function for a transient cyst stage of germ cell development. Prior to breakdown, mitochondria and ER reorganize into perinuclear aggregates, and can be seen within the ring canals joining adjacent germ cells. Cysts may ensure that oocytes destined to form primordial follicles acquire populations of functional mitochondria, through an active process that has been evolutionarily conserved.

Stem cells and their progeny respond to nutritional changes during Drosophila oogenesis.

Understanding how stem-cell proliferation is controlled to maintain adult tissues is of fundamental importance. Drosophila oogenesis provides an attractive system to study this issue since cell production in the ovary depends on small populations of observable germ-line and somatic stem cells. By controlling the amount of protein-rich nutrients in the diet, we established conditions under which the rate of egg production varied 60-fold. Using a cell-lineage labeling system, we found that both germ-line and somatic stem cells, as well as their progeny, adjust their proliferation rates in response to nutrition. However, the number of active stem cells does not appear to change. Proliferation rates varied fourfold; the remaining 15-fold difference in egg production resulted from different frequencies of cell death at two precise developmental points: (1) the region 2a/2b transition within the germarium, and (2) stage 8 egg chambers that are entering vitellogenesis. To initiate a genetic analysis of these changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis, we show that ovarian cells require an intact insulin pathway to fully upregulate their rate of cycling in response to a protein-rich diet and to enter vitellogenesis.

A niche maintaining germ line stem cells in the Drosophila ovary.

Stromal cells are thought to generate specific regulatory microenviroments or "niches" that control stem cell behavior. Characterizing stem cell niches in vivo remains an important goal that has been difficult to achieve. The individual ovarioles of the Drosophila ovary each contain about two germ line stem cells that maintain oocyte production. Here we show that anterior ovariolar somatic cells comprising three cell types act as a germ line stem cell niche. Germ line stem cells lost by normal or induced differentiation are efficiently replaced, and the ability to repopulate the niche increases the functional lifetime of ovarioles in vivo. Our studies implicate one of the somatic cell types, the cap cells, as a key niche component.

The fusome organizes the microtubule network during oocyte differentiation in Drosophila.

Differentiation of the Drosophila oocyte takes place in a cyst of 16 interconnected germ cells and is dependent on a network of microtubules that becomes polarized as differentiation progresses (polarization). We have investigated how the microtubule network polarizes using a GFP-tubulin construct that allows germ-cell microtubules to be visualized with greater sensitivity than in previous studies. Unexpectedly, microtubules are seen to associate with the fusome, an asymmetric germline-specific organelle, which elaborates as cysts form and undergoes complex changes during cyst polarization. This fusome-microtubule association occurs periodically during late interphases of cyst divisions and then continuously in 16-cell cysts that have entered meiotic prophase. As meiotic cysts move through the germarium, microtubule minus ends progressively focus towards the center of the fusome, as visualized using a NOD-lacZ marker. During this same period, discrete foci rich in gamma tubulin that very probably correspond to migrating cystocyte centrosomes also associate with the fusome, first on the fusome arms and then in its center, subsequently moving into the differentiating oocyte. The fusome is required for this complex process, because microtubule network organization and polarization are disrupted in hts(1) mutant cysts, which lack fusomes. Our results suggest that the fusome, a specialized membrane-skeletal structure, which arises in early germ cells, plays a crucial role in polarizing 16-cell cysts, at least in part by interacting with microtubules and centrosomes.

Cyclin A associates with the fusome during germline cyst formation in the Drosophila ovary.

Regulated changes in the cell cycle underlie many aspects of growth and differentiation. Prior to meiosis, germ cell cycles in many organisms become accelerated, synchronized, and modified to lack cytokinesis. These changes cause cysts of interconnected germ cells to form that typically contain 2(n) cells. In Drosophila, developing germ cells during this period contain a distinctive organelle, the fusome, that is required for normal cyst formation. We find that the cell cycle regulator Cyclin A transiently associates with the fusome during the cystocyte cell cycles, suggesting that fusome-associated Cyclin A drives the interconnected cells within each cyst synchronously into mitosis. In the presence of a normal fusome, overexpression of Cyclin A forces cysts through an extra round of cell division to produce cysts with 32 germline cells. Female sterile mutations in UbcD1, encoding an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, have a similar effect. Our observations suggest that programmed changes in the expression and cytoplasmic localization of key cell cycle regulatory proteins control germline cyst production.

An exploration of the sequence of a 2.9-Mb region of the genome of Drosophila melanogaster: the Adh region.

A contiguous sequence of nearly 3 Mb from the genome of Drosophila melanogaster has been sequenced from a series of overlapping P1 and BAC clones. This region covers 69 chromosome polytene bands on chromosome arm 2L, including the genetically well-characterized "Adh region." A computational analysis of the sequence predicts 218 protein-coding genes, 11 tRNAs, and 17 transposable element sequences. At least 38 of the protein-coding genes are arranged in clusters of from 2 to 6 closely related genes, suggesting extensive tandem duplication. The gene density is one protein-coding gene every 13 kb; the transposable element density is one element every 171 kb. Of 73 genes in this region identified by genetic analysis, 49 have been located on the sequence; P-element insertions have been mapped to 43 genes. Ninety-five (44%) of the known and predicted genes match a Drosophila EST, and 144 (66%) have clear similarities to proteins in other organisms. Genes known to have mutant phenotypes are more likely to be represented in cDNA libraries, and far more likely to have products similar to proteins of other organisms, than are genes with no known mutant phenotype. Over 650 chromosome aberration breakpoints map to this chromosome region, and their nonrandom distribution on the genetic map reflects variation in gene spacing on the DNA. This is the first large-scale analysis of the genome of D. melanogaster at the sequence level. In addition to the direct results obtained, this analysis has allowed us to develop and test methods that will be needed to interpret the complete sequence of the genome of this species. Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it. Milne 1926

The Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project gene disruption project: Single P-element insertions mutating 25% of vital Drosophila genes.

A fundamental goal of genetics and functional genomics is to identify and mutate every gene in model organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. The Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP) gene disruption project generates single P-element insertion strains that each mutate unique genomic open reading frames. Such strains strongly facilitate further genetic and molecular studies of the disrupted loci, but it has remained unclear if P elements can be used to mutate all Drosophila genes. We now report that the primary collection has grown to contain 1045 strains that disrupt more than 25% of the estimated 3600 Drosophila genes that are essential for adult viability. Of these P insertions, 67% have been verified by genetic tests to cause the associated recessive mutant phenotypes, and the validity of most of the remaining lines is predicted on statistical grounds. Sequences flanking >920 insertions have been determined to exactly position them in the genome and to identify 376 potentially affected transcripts from collections of EST sequences. Strains in the BDGP collection are available from the Bloomington Stock Center and have already assisted the research community in characterizing >250 Drosophila genes. The likely identity of 131 additional genes in the collection is reported here. Our results show that Drosophila genes have a wide range of sensitivity to inactivation by P elements, and provide a rationale for greatly expanding the BDGP primary collection based entirely on insertion site sequencing. We predict that this approach can bring >85% of all Drosophila open reading frames under experimental control.

Chorion gene amplification in Drosophila: A model for metazoan origins of DNA replication and S-phase control.

The mechanisms controlling duplication of the metazoan genome are only beginning to be understood. It is still unclear what organization of DNA sequences constitutes a chromosomal origin of DNA replication, and the regulation of origin activity during the cell cycle has not been fully revealed. We review recent results that indicate that chorion gene amplification in follicle cells of the Drosophila ovary is a model for investigating metazoan replication. Evaluation of cis sequence organization and function suggests that chorion loci share attributes with other replicons and provides insights into metazoan origin structure. Moreover, recent results indicate that chorion origins respond to S-phase control, but escape mechanisms that inhibit other origins from firing more than once in a cell cycle. Several identified genes that mediate amplification are critical for the cell cycle control of replication initiation. It is likely that further genetic screens for mutations that disrupt amplification will identify the cadre of proteins associated with origins and the regulatory pathways that control their activity. Furthermore, the recent development of methods to detect amplification in situ has uncovered new aspects of its developmental control. Examining this control will reveal links between developmental pathways and the cell cycle machinery. Visualization of amplifying chorion genes with high resolution also represents an opportunity to evaluate the influence of nuclear and chromosome structure on origin activity. The study of chorion amplification in Drosophila, therefore, provides great potential for the genetic and molecular dissection of metazoan replication.

Germline cysts: a conserved phase of germ cell development?

Germ cells in many vertebrate and invertebrate species initiate gametogenesis by forming groups of interconnected cells known as germline cysts. Recent studies using Xenopus, mouse and Drosophila are beginning to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control germline cyst formation and, in conjunction with morphological evidence, suggest that the process is highly conserved during evolution. This article discusses these recent findings and argues that cysts play an important and general role in germ line development.

The endocycle controls nurse cell polytene chromosome structure during Drosophila oogenesis.

Polytene chromosomes exhibit intricate higher order chromatin structure that is easily visualized due to their precisely aligned component strands. However, it remains unclear if the same factors determine chromatin organization in polyploid and diploid cells. We have analyzed one such factor, the cell cycle, by studying changes in Drosophila nurse cell chromosomes throughout the 10 to 12 endocycles of oogenesis. We find that nurse cells undergo three distinct types of endocycle whose parameters are correlated with chromosome behavior. The first four endocycles support complete DNA replication; poorly banded polytene euchromatin progressively condenses during the late S phases to produce blob-like chromosomes. During the unique fifth endocycle, an incomplete late S phase is followed by a mitosis-like state during which the 64C chromosomes dissociate into 32 chromatid pairs held together by unreplicated regions. All the subsequent endocycles lack any late S phase; during these cycles a new polytene chromosome grows from each 2C chromatid pair to generate 32-ploid polytene nuclei. These observations suggest that euchromatin begins to condense during late S phase and that nurse cell polytene chromosome structure is controlled by regulating whether events characteristic of late S and M phase are incorporated or skipped within a given endocycle.

Female mouse germ cells form synchronously dividing cysts.

Oocytes from many invertebrates initiate development within distinctive cysts of interconnected cells, which are formed through synchronous divisions of a progenitor cell. Recently, processes underlying cyst formation have been extensively characterized at the molecular level in Drosophila. Defects in this process cause sterility in female flies. Early female mouse germ cells are organized as cell clusters as well, but it is uncertain whether these groups are similar to the cysts of invertebrates. We find that mouse germ cells are connected by intercellular bridges in the ovaries of 11.5 to 17.5 days postcoitum embryos; microtubules and organelles have been observed within these bridges. Confocal microscopy shows that cells within mouse clusters divide synchronously and frequently correspond in number to powers of two. Thus, female mouse germ cell clusters exhibit key characteristics of invertebrate germline cysts indicating that the process of germline cyst formation is conserved in the mouse.

decapentaplegic is essential for the maintenance and division of germline stem cells in the Drosophila ovary.

Stem cells are thought to occupy special local environments, or niches, established by neighboring cells that give them the capability for self-renewal. Each ovariole in the Drosophila ovary contains two germline stem cells surrounded by a group of differentiated somatic cells that express hedgehog and wingless. Here we show that the BMP2/4 homolog decapentaplegic (dpp) is specifically required to maintain female germline stem cells and promote their division. Overexpression of dpp blocks germline stem cell differentiation. Conversely, mutations in dpp or its receptor (saxophone) accelerate stem cell loss and retard stem cell division. We constructed mutant germline stem cell clones to show that the dpp signal is directly received by germline stem cells. Thus, dpp signaling helps define a niche that controls germline stem cell proliferation.

Morphogenesis of the Drosophila fusome and its implications for oocyte specification.

The Drosophila oocyte develops within a cyst of 16 germline cells interconnected by ring canals. Polarized, microtubule-based transport of unknown determinants is required for oocyte formation, but whether polarity is established during or after cyst formation is not clear. We have analyzed how polarity develops in stem cells and dividing cysts by following the growth of the fusome, a vesiculated cytoplasmic organelle. Our studies show that the fusome grows by a regular, polarized process throughout the stem cell and cyst cell cycles. Each polarization cycle begins in mitosis, when the fusome segregates to a single daughter cell of each pair. Following mitosis, a 'plug' of fusomal material forms in each nascent ring canal and gradually fuses with the pre-existing fusome. In stem cells, the ring canal is transient and closes down after the fusome is partitioned through it. In dividing cysts, as the fusome plugs move toward the pre-existing fusome, their associated ring canals also move, changing the geometry of the cyst. At the end of each cycle of cyst growth, the fusome remains asymmetrically distributed within the cyst; one of the two cells with four ring canals retains a bigger piece of fusome than any other cell, including the other cell with four ring canals. Based on these observations, we argue that the oocyte is specified at the first cyst division.

Cell cycle control of chorion gene amplification.

Over-replication of two clusters of chorion genes in Drosophila ovarian follicle cells is essential for rapid eggshell biosynthesis. The relationship of this amplification to the follicle cell cycles has remained unclear. To investigate the regulation of amplification, we developed a technique to detect amplifying chorion genes in individual follicle cells using BrdU incorporation and FISH. Amplification occurs in two developmental phases. One of the gene clusters begins to amplify periodically during S phases of follicle cell endocycles. Subsequently, after endocycles have ceased, both clusters amplify continuously during the remainder of oogenesis. In contrast to the early phase, late amplification commences synchronously among follicle cells. The pattern of Cyclin E expression mirrors these two phases. We present evidence that Cyclin E is required positively for amplification. We suggest that Cyclin E also acts negatively to inhibit refiring of most origins within a cycle, and that specific factors at chorion origins allow them to escape this negative rereplication control. Our findings suggest that chorion amplification is a model for understanding metazoan replicons and the controls that restrict replication to once per cell cycle.