Chigno/CG11180 and SUMO are Chinmo-interacting proteins with a role in Drosophila testes somatic support cells.

Stem cells are critical for replenishment of cells lost to death, damage or differentiation. Drosophila testes are a key model system for elucidating mechanisms regulating stem cell maintenance and differentiation. An intriguing gene identified through such studies is the transcription factor, chronologically inappropriate morphogenesis (Chinmo). Chinmo is a downstream effector of the Jak-STAT signaling pathway that acts in testis somatic stem cells to ensure maintenance of male stem cell fate and sexual identity. Defects in these processes can lead to infertility and the formation of germ cell tumors. While Chinmo's effect on testis stem cell behavior has been investigated in detail, there is still much to be learned about its structure, function, and interactions with other proteins. Using a two-hybrid screen, we find that Chinmo interacts with itself, the small ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO, the novel protein CG11180, and four other proteins (CG4318, Ova (ovaries absent), Taf3 (TBP-associated factor 3), and CG18269). Since both Chinmo and CG11180 contain sumoylation sites and SUMO-interacting motifs (SIMs), we analyzed their interaction in more detail. Using site-directed mutagenesis of a unique SIM in CG11180, we demonstrate that Chinmo's interaction with CG11180 is SUMO-dependent. Furthermore, to assess the functional relevance of both SUMO and CG11180, we performed RNAi-mediated knockdown of both proteins in somatic cells of the Drosophila testis. Using this approach, we find that CG11180 and SUMO are required in somatic cells of adult testes, and that reduction of either protein causes formation of germ cell tumors. Overall, our work suggests that SUMO may be involved in the interaction of Chinmo and CG11180 and that these genes are required in somatic cells of the adult Drosophila testis. Consistent with the CG11180 knockdown phenotype in male testes, and to underscore its connection to Chinmo, we propose the name Chigno (Childless Gambino) for CG11180.

Student Attitudes Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE.

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student's epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.

Somatic control of germline sexual development is mediated by the JAK/STAT pathway.

Germ cells must develop along distinct male or female paths to produce the sperm or eggs required for sexual reproduction. In both mouse and Drosophila, the sexual identity of germ cells is influenced by the sex of the surrounding somatic tissue (for example, refs 1, 2, reviewed in refs 3, 4); however, little is known about how the soma controls germline sex determination. Here we show that the janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway provides a sex-specific signal from the soma to the germ line in Drosophila embryonic gonads. The somatic gonad expresses a JAK/STAT ligand, unpaired (upd), in a male-specific manner, and activates the JAK/STAT pathway in male germ cells at the time of gonad formation. Furthermore, the JAK/STAT pathway is necessary for male-specific germ cell behaviour during early gonad development, and is sufficient to activate aspects of male germ cell behaviour in female germ cells. Our findings provide direct evidence that the JAK/STAT pathway mediates a key signal from the somatic gonad that regulates male germline sexual development.

Jak-STAT regulation of male germline stem cell establishment during Drosophila embryogenesis.

Germline stem cells (GSCs) in Drosophila are descendants of primordial germ cells (PGCs) specified during embryogenesis. The precise timing of GSC establishment in the testis has not been determined, nor is it known whether mechanisms that control GSC maintenance in the adult are involved in GSC establishment. Here, we determine that PGCs in the developing male gonad first become GSCs at the embryo to larval transition. This coincides with formation of the embryonic hub; the critical signaling center that regulates adult GSC behavior within the stem cell microenvironment (niche). We find that the Jak-STAT signaling pathway is activated in a subset of PGCs that associate with the newly-formed embryonic hub. These PGCs express GSC markers and function like GSCs, while PGCs that do not associate with the hub begin to differentiate. In the absence of Jak-STAT activation, PGCs adjacent to the hub fail to exhibit the characteristics of GSCs, while ectopic activation of the Jak-STAT pathway prevents differentiation. These findings show that stem cell formation is closely linked to development of the stem cell niche, and suggest that Jak-STAT signaling is required for initial establishment of the GSC population in developing testes.

Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience.

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students' learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our "formative frustration" hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of "formative frustration" is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

An ex vivo assay to assess the potential of skin keratinocytes for wound epithelialization.

Wound closure following injury to the skin is a complex process involving both dermal contraction and keratinocyte migration. Murine models of wound healing are potentially useful because of the ability to determine protein function through gene manipulation. Owing to the dominant role of dermal contraction, the technical difficulties in preparing the wound site for morphologic studies, and the postnatal phenotypes altering the properties of transgenic skin, there are difficulties in assessing the epithelial contribution to wound closure in mouse skin. We describe a simple ex vivo assay utilizing explant culture that enables a quantitative assessment of the potential of mouse keratinocytes for wound epithelialization. In this assay, the behavior and properties of skin keratinocytes mimic well those that occur at the edge of skin wounds in situ, including a dependence upon connective tissue element(s), proliferation, and migration. The epithelial cell outgrowths emerging from skin explants can be studied in real-time or examined at specific time-points for markers of interest in the epithelialization process. The assay is quantitative and can successfully detect increases or decreases in epithelialization potential, and can be useful in the characterization of transgenic mouse models.

Sonication-facilitated immunofluorescence staining of late-stage embryonic and larval Drosophila tissues in situ.

Studies performed in Drosophila melanogaster embryos and larvae provide crucial insight into developmental processes such as cell fate specification and organogenesis. Immunostaining allows for the visualization of developing tissues and organs. However, a protective cuticle that forms at the end of embryogenesis prevents permeation of antibodies into late-stage embryos and larvae. While dissection prior to immunostaining is regularly used to analyze Drosophila larval tissues, it proves inefficient for some analyses because small tissues may be difficult to locate and isolate. Sonication provides an alternative to dissection in larval Drosophila immunostaining protocols. It allows for quick, simultaneous processing of large numbers of late-stage embryos and larvae and maintains in situ morphology. After fixation in formaldehyde, a sample is sonicated. Sample is then subjected to immunostaining with antigen-specific primary antibodies and fluorescently labeled secondary antibodies to visualize target cell types and specific proteins via fluorescence microscopy. During the process of sonication, proper placement of a sonicating probe above the sample, as well as the duration and intensity of sonication, is critical. Additonal minor modifications to standard immunostaining protocols may be required for high quality stains. For antibodies with low signal to noise ratio, longer incubation times are typically necessary. As a proof of concept for this sonication-facilitated protocol, we show immunostains of three tissue types (testes, ovaries, and neural tissues) at a range of developmental stages.

The Jak-STAT target Chinmo prevents sex transformation of adult stem cells in the Drosophila testis niche.

Local signals maintain adult stem cells in many tissues. Whether the sexual identity of adult stem cells must also be maintained was not known. In the adult Drosophila testis niche, local Jak-STAT signaling promotes somatic cyst stem cell (CySC) renewal through several effectors, including the putative transcription factor Chronologically inappropriate morphogenesis (Chinmo). Here, we find that Chinmo also prevents feminization of CySCs. Chinmo promotes expression of the canonical male sex determination factor DoublesexM (Dsx(M)) within CySCs and their progeny, and ectopic expression of DsxM in the CySC lineage partially rescues the chinmo sex transformation phenotype, placing Chinmo upstream of Dsx(M). The Dsx homolog DMRT1 prevents the male-to-female conversion of differentiated somatic cells in the adult mammalian testis, but its regulation is not well understood. Our work indicates that sex maintenance occurs in adult somatic stem cells and that this highly conserved process is governed by effectors of niche signals. PAPERCLIP:

The genomics education partnership: successful integration of research into laboratory classes at a diverse group of undergraduate institutions.

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students.

Germ cell sex determination: piecing together a complex puzzle.

In many multicellular organisms, proper germ cell development is crucial for production of future generations. One critical step in this process is the decision of germ cells to develop into either sperm or eggs. Defects in germ cell sex determination can lead to infertility and germ cell tumors. However, while much is known about somatic sex determination, regulation of germ cell sex is not well understood. Recent studies with Drosophila reveal that the janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway promotes male germ cell development during early stages of gonad morphogenesis.(1) Here, this and other work suggesting that the JAK/STAT pathway acts alongside a host of other factors to regulate germ cell sex determination is discussed. Furthermore, recent insights into mouse germ cell sex determination are reviewed; revealing a number of correlations that suggest similar mechanisms may regulate aspects of both mouse and Drosophila germline sexual dimorphism.

nanos is required for formation of the spectrosome, a germ cell-specific organelle.

Germ cell identity and development are controlled by autonomous cues in the germ plasm as well as by interactions between germ cells and somatic cells. Here, we investigate the formation of a germ cell-specific organelle, the spectrosome. We find that spectrosome formation is independent of germ cell-soma interactions and is autonomous to the germ cells. Furthermore, the germ plasm component nanos (nos) is essential for spectrosome formation. The role of nos in spectrosome formation is independent of its role in germ cell survival; nos mutant germ cells that are prevented from undergoing programmed cell death still fail to form spectrosomes. Thus, nos is required to regulate the formation of this germ cell-specific organelle, further supporting a role for nos in promoting germ cell identity.