Article
Cell Biology
Peiwei Chen, Alexei A. Kotov, Baira K. Godneeva, Sergei S. Bazylev, Ludmila Olenina, Alexei A. Aravin
Summary: Small noncoding piRNAs guide repression of complementary targets in Metazoa. Previous studies in fruit fly ovaries have shown the function of the piRNA pathway in transposon silencing and genome defense. In fruit fly testes, piRNA programs exhibit sexual dimorphism and are used differently between sexes to combat sex-specific transposon landscapes.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sreesankar Easwaran, Matthew Van Ligten, Mackenzie Kui, Denise J. Montell
Summary: This study reveals that Drosophila enter adult reproductive diapause under specific environmental conditions, which leads to ovarian arrest but preserves fertility. Germline stem cells (GSCs) in diapause incur DNA damage and division reduction, yet they are able to recover. Mimicking reduced juvenile hormone production during diapause enhances GSC longevity in non-diapausing flies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David W. J. McQuarrie, Adam M. Read, Frannie H. S. Stephens, Alberto Civetta, Matthias Soller
Summary: Nuclear pore proteins (Nups) have been identified as genes involved in speciation from hybrid incompatibility in Drosophila. Positive selection has been observed in the evolution of Nup96 and Nup160 coding sequences, suggesting their role in nucleoporin evolution. The functionality of channel protein Nup54 is crucial for the female post-mating response, and rapid evolution in its core promoter region indicates the importance of transcriptional regulatory elements in speciation. Rapid accumulation of insertions/deletions (indels) is also observed in the promoters of Nup58 and Nup62, suggesting an evolutionary mechanism driven by indel accumulation in core Nup promoters.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Megan M. Colonnetta, Paul Schedl, Girish Deshpande
Summary: In Drosophila melanogaster embryos, somatic versus germline identity is determined by the zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and maternally deposited germline determinants. Zelda and CLAMP are required for the establishment of the germline/soma distinction.
Article
Cell Biology
Dong Li, Ying Ge, Ze Zhao, Rui Zhu, Xiang Wang, Xiaolin Bi
Summary: The study analyzed the expression profiles of miRNAs and piRNAs in Drosophila during development and DNA damage response, revealing dynamic expression patterns and the key roles of E2f1 and p53 in regulating small ncRNAs. E2f1 may play a major role in modulating miRNAs during development and after X-ray irradiation, showcasing new insights into small ncRNA biology.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Maria Dolores De Donno, Antonietta Puricella, Simona D'Attis, Valeria Specchia, Maria Pia Bozzetti
Summary: Fragile X syndrome is a neuro-developmental disease that affects intellectual abilities and social interactions. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a reliable model to study the neuronal pathways associated with this syndrome. It has been found that the FMRP protein is crucial for the normal structure of neurons, correct synaptic differentiation, and synaptic connectivity during neuronal circuit development. This study demonstrates that FMRP is also required for transposon silencing in the brains of Drosophila mutants, suggesting a potential role of transposons in the pathogenesis of Fragile X syndrome and abnormal social behaviors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xialan Dong, Weifan Zheng
Summary: In designing effective siRNAs for a specific mRNA target, having predictive models for potency is crucial. A new approach using BCUT descriptors to characterize nucleotides can successfully predict gene silencing potency by cm-siRNAs, achieving comparable or superior results to existing algorithms. The method can model gene silencing potency for both natural and chemically modified siRNA molecules.
Article
Cell Biology
Pradeep Kumar Bhaskar, Sheryl Southard, Kelly Baxter, Mark Van Doren
Summary: This study reveals that JAK/STAT signaling promotes male development in germ cells by activating the chromatin reader Phf7, while this signaling pathway is blocked in XX (female) germ cells by the sex determination gene Sex lethal to maintain female development.
Article
Biology
Marzia Munafo, Victoria R. Lawless, Alessandro Passera, Serena MacMillan, Susanne Bornelov, Irmgard U. Haussmann, Matthias Soller, Gregory J. Hannon, Benjamin Czech
Summary: The nuclear pore complex (NPC) functions as a gateway between the nucleus and cytoplasm for exchange of macromolecular cargo. Specific nucleoporins within the NPC, such as Nup54 and Nup58, have essential roles in transposon silencing via the piRNA pathway in the Drosophila ovary, suggesting tissue-specific functions for certain NPC subunits. This study demonstrates that genomic loci under selective pressure can exploit NPC subunits to facilitate their expression, indicating additional functions beyond nuclear/cytoplasmic exchange for the NPC.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. Nashchekin, L. Busby, M. Jakobs, I Squires, D. St Johnston
Summary: By recruiting Patronin to the fusome and stabilizing more MTs, a polarized MT network is formed, along which Dynein transports oocyte determinants into the presumptive oocyte, breaking symmetry and selecting the oocyte.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingyuan Shi, Zhen Jin, Yaxin Yu, Yongchao Zhang, Fu Yang, Huanwei Huang, Tao Cai, Rongwen Xi
Summary: In the germarium of the Drosophila ovary, a population of somatic escort cells can be divided into two successive domains, with the anterior escort cells producing ecdysone to promote cell division and the posterior escort cells responding to ecdysone signaling to regulate cell adhesion. This distribution of escort cells is independent of the germline but dependent on JAK/STAT signaling activity, orchestrating cystoblast division and differentiation towards egg chamber formation.
Correction
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Daniel O'Reilly, Jillian Belgrad, Chantal Ferguson, Ashley Summers, Ellen Sapp, Cassandra McHugh, Ella Mathews, Adel Boudi, Julianna Buchwald, Socheata Ly, Dimas Moreno, Raymond Furgal, Eric Luu, Zachary Kennedy, Vignesh Hariharan, Kathryn Monopoli, X. William Yang, Jeffery Carroll, Marian DiFiglia, Neil Aronin, Anastasia Khvorova
Summary: The data for MSH2, PMS1, and PMS2 in Figure 6 were mistakenly duplicated in the originally published version of this article. After reviewing the original data, the authors found that the error occurred during data analysis. The corrected figure has been provided and the authors state that the conclusions remain unchanged.
Article
Biology
Amna Asif-Laidin, Karine Casier, Zoheir Ziriat, Antoine Boivin, Elise Viode, Valerie Delmarre, Stephane Ronsseray, Clement Carre, Laure Teysset
Summary: In gonads, the activity of transposable elements (TEs) is repressed by PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) synthesized by piRNA clusters. Horizontal transfer (HT) of TEs can threaten genome integrity, but naive genomes can eventually produce new piRNAs to target the invaders. The emergence of these new piRNAs is linked to piRNA cluster transcription and depends on genetic and epigenetic properties.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kushan L. Gunawardhana, Gustavo B. S. Rivas, Courtney Caster, Paul E. Hardin
Summary: Research shows that the vrille gene in Drosophila plays a role in development and circadian behavior, with the short VRI isoform being sufficient for both functions. Long VRI primarily controls circadian rhythms by regulating short VRI in adults. The E-box regulatory elements are crucial for the expression of short VRI transcripts in development, while long VRI transcripts contribute to the production of short VRI in adults.
Article
Biology
Ananya Chakravarti, Heshani N. Thirimanne, Savanna Brown, Brian R. Calvi
Summary: Using Drosophila as a model, this study found that p53 isoforms in fruit flies have functions specific to DNA damage and cell types, similar to mammalian p53 family members in the genotoxic stress response and oocyte quality control.