Browse
Submit Data
Databases
API
Help

Dataset Information

23 Views

0 Connections

0 Citations

0 Reanalyses

0 Downloads

Omics score: 0

A dynamic population of stromal cells contributes to the follicle stem cell niche in the Drosophila ovary.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial stem cells are maintained within niches that promote self-renewal by providing signals that specify the stem cell fate. In the Drosophila ovary, epithelial follicle stem cells (FSCs) reside in niches at the anterior tip of the tissue and support continuous growth of the ovarian follicle epithelium. Here, we demonstrate that a neighboring dynamic population of stromal cells, called escort cells, are FSC niche cells. We show that escort cells produce both Wingless and Hedgehog ligands for the FSC lineage, and that Wingless signaling is specific for the FSC niche whereas Hedgehog signaling is active in both FSCs and daughter cells. In addition, we show that multiple escort cells simultaneously encapsulate germ cell cysts and contact FSCs. Thus, FSCs are maintained in a dynamic niche by a non-dedicated population of niche cells.

SUBMITTER: Sahai-Hernandez P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3817939 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Json Xml

Similar Datasets

Basolateral junction proteins regulate competition for the follicle stem cell niche in the Drosophila ovary.

Project description:Epithelial stem cells are routinely lost or damaged during adult life and must therefore be replaced to maintain homeostasis. Recent studies indicate that stem cell replacement occurs through neutral competition in many types of epithelial tissues, but little is known about the factors that determine competitive outcome. The epithelial follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the Drosophila ovary are regularly lost and replaced during normal homeostasis, and we show that FSC replacement conforms to a model of neutral competition. In addition, we found that FSCs mutant for the basolateral junction genes, lethal giant larvae (lgl) or discs large (dlg), undergo a biased competition for niche occupancy characterized by increased invasion of neighboring FSCs and reduced loss. Interestingly, FSCs mutant for a third basolateral junction gene, scribble (scrib), do not exhibit biased competition, suggesting that Lgl and Dlg regulate niche competition through a Scrib-independent process. Lastly, we found that FSCs have a unique cell polarity characterized by broadly distributed adherens junctions and the lack of a mature apical domain. Collectively, these observations indicate that Lgl and Dlg promote the differentiation of FSC progeny to a state in which they are less prone to invade the neighboring niche. In addition, we demonstrate that the neutral drift model can be adapted to quantify non-neutral behavior of mutant clones.

| S-EPMC4084627 | biostudies-literature

Differentiation-defective stem cells outcompete normal stem cells for niche occupancy in the Drosophila ovary.

Project description:Rapid progress has recently been made regarding how the niche controls stem cell function, but little is yet known about how stem cells in the same niche interact with one another. In this study, we show that differentiation-defective Drosophila ovarian germline stem cells (GSCs) can outcompete normal ones for niche occupancy in a cadherin-dependent manner. The differentiation-defective bam or bgcn mutant GSCs invade the niche space of neighboring wild-type GSCs and gradually push them out of the niche by upregulating E-cadherin expression. Furthermore, the bam/bgcn-mediated GSC competition requires E-cadherin and normal GSC division, but not the self-renewal-promoting BMP niche signal, while different E-cadherin levels can sufficiently stimulate GSC competition. Therefore, we propose that GSCs have a competitive relationship for niche occupancy, which may serve as a quality control mechanism to ensure that accidentally differentiated stem cells are rapidly removed from the niche and replaced by functional ones.

| S-EPMC8387725 | biostudies-literature

Caprin controls follicle stem cell fate in the Drosophila ovary.

Project description:Adult stem cells must balance self-renewal and differentiation for tissue homeostasis. The Drosophila ovary has provided a wealth of information about the extrinsic niche signals and intrinsic molecular processes required to ensure appropriate germline stem cell renewal and differentiation. The factors controlling behavior of the more recently identified follicle stem cells of the ovary are less well-understood but equally important for fertility. Here we report that translational regulators play a critical role in controlling these cells. Specifically, the translational regulator Caprin (Capr) is required in the follicle stem cell lineage to ensure maintenance of this stem cell population and proper encapsulation of developing germ cells by follicle stem cell progeny. In addition, reduction of one copy of the gene fmr1, encoding the translational regulator Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, exacerbates the Capr encapsulation phenotype, suggesting Capr and fmr1 are regulating a common process. Caprin was previously characterized in vertebrates as Cytoplasmic Activation/Proliferation-Associated Protein. Significantly, we find that loss of Caprin alters the dynamics of the cell cycle, and we present evidence that misregulation of CycB contributes to the disruption in behavior of follicle stem cell progeny. Our findings support the idea that translational regulators may provide a conserved mechanism for oversight of developmentally critical cell cycles such as those in stem cell populations.

| S-EPMC3320888 | biostudies-literature

Drosophila Glypicans Regulate Follicle Stem Cell Maintenance and Niche Competition.

Project description:Adult stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments called niches, which provide signals for stem cells to maintain their undifferentiated and self-renewing state. To maintain stem cell quality, several types of stem cells are known to be regularly replaced by progenitor cells through niche competition. However, the cellular and molecular bases for stem cell competition for niche occupancy are largely unknown. Here, we show that two Drosophila members of the glypican family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), Dally and Dally-like (Dlp), differentially regulate follicle stem cell (FSC) maintenance and competitiveness for niche occupancy. Lineage analyses of glypican mutant FSC clones showed that dally is essential for normal FSC maintenance. In contrast, dlp is a hypercompetitive mutation: dlp mutant FSC progenitors often eventually occupy the entire epithelial sheet. RNA interference knockdown experiments showed that Dally and Dlp play both partially redundant and distinct roles in regulating Jak/Stat, Wg, and Hh signaling in FSCs. The Drosophila FSC system offers a powerful genetic model to study the mechanisms by which HSPGs exert specific functions in stem cell replacement and competition.

| S-EPMC5972425 | biostudies-literature

Cyclin E-dependent protein kinase activity regulates niche retention of Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells.

Project description:Whether stem cells have unique cell cycle machineries and how they integrate with niche interactions remains largely unknown. We identified a hypomorphic cyclin E allele WX that strongly impairs the maintenance of follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the Drosophila ovary but does not reduce follicle cell proliferation or germline stem cell maintenance. CycE(WX) protein can still bind to the cyclin-dependent kinase catalytic subunit Cdk2, but forms complexes with reduced protein kinase activity measured in vitro. By creating additional CycE variants with different degrees of kinase dysfunction and expressing these and CycE(WX) at different levels, we found that higher CycE-Cdk2 kinase activity is required for FSC maintenance than to support follicle cell proliferation. Surprisingly, cycE(WX) FSCs were lost from their niches rather than arresting proliferation. Furthermore, FSC function was substantially restored by expressing either excess DE-cadherin or excess E2F1/DP, the transcription factor normally activated by CycE-Cdk2 phosphorylation of retinoblastoma proteins. These results suggest that FSC maintenance through niche adhesion is regulated by inputs that normally control S phase entry, possibly as a quality control mechanism to ensure adequate stem cell proliferation. We speculate that a positive connection between central regulators of the cell cycle and niche retention may be a common feature of highly proliferative stem cells.

| S-EPMC2799841 | biostudies-literature

The follicle epithelium in the Drosophila ovary is maintained by a small number of stem cells.

Project description:The follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the Drosophila ovary are an important experimental model for the study of epithelial stem cell biology. Although decades of research support the conclusion that there are two FSCs per ovariole, a recent study used a novel clonal marking system to conclude that there are 15-16 FSCs per ovariole. We performed clonal analysis using both this novel clonal marking system and standard clonal marking systems, and identified several problems that may have contributed to the overestimate of FSC number. In addition, we developed new methods for accurately measuring clone size, and found that FSC clones produce, on average, half of the follicle cells in each ovariole. Our findings provide strong independent support for the conclusion that there are typically two active FSCs per ovariole, though they are consistent with up to four FSCs per germarium.

| S-EPMC6946398 | biostudies-literature

Drosophila follicle stem cells are regulated by proliferation and niche adhesion as well as mitochondria and ROS.

Project description:The mechanisms underlying adult stem cell behaviour are likely to be diverse and have not yet been investigated systematically. Here we conducted an unbiased genetic screen using Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells to probe essential functions regulating self-renewal of epithelial stem cells. Surprisingly, we find that niche adhesion emerges as the most commonly affected essential stem cell property, and that proliferation is critical for stem cell maintenance. We also find that PI3K pathway activation enhances follicle stem cell function, whereas mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species production lead to stem cell loss. Moreover, we find that most genes required specifically in the stem cell of the follicle stem cell lineage are widely expressed but are not required for the maintenance of ovarian germline stem cells. These findings highlight the fundamental characteristics of follicle stem cells as an important stem cell paradigm that contrasts with some other stem cell models, where repression of differentiation or relative quiescence is crucial.

| S-EPMC3518414 | biostudies-literature

A single-cell atlas of the developing Drosophila ovary identifies follicle stem cell progenitors.

Project description:Addressing the complexity of organogenesis at a system-wide level requires a complete understanding of adult cell types, their origin, and precursor relationships. The Drosophila ovary has been a model to study how coordinated stem cell units, germline, and somatic follicle stem cells maintain and renew an organ. However, lack of cell type-specific tools have limited our ability to study the origin of individual cell types and stem cell units. Here, we used a single-cell RNA sequencing approach to uncover all known cell types of the developing ovary, reveal transcriptional signatures, and identify cell type-specific markers for lineage tracing. Our study identifies a novel cell type corresponding to the elusive follicle stem cell precursors and predicts subtypes of known cell types. Altogether, we reveal a previously unanticipated complexity of the developing ovary and provide a comprehensive resource for the systematic analysis of ovary morphogenesis.

| S-EPMC7000915 | biostudies-literature

Stem cell niche organization in the Drosophila ovary requires the ECM component Perlecan.

Project description:Stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments or niches that balance stem cell proliferation and differentiation.1,2 The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential component of most niches, because it controls niche homeostasis, provides physical support, and conveys extracellular signals.3-11 Basement membranes (BMs) are thin ECM sheets that are constituted mainly by Laminins, Perlecan, Collagen IV, and Entactin/Nidogen and surround epithelia and other tissues.12 Perlecans are secreted proteoglycans that interact with ECM proteins, ligands, receptors, and growth factors such as FGF, PDGF, VEGF, Hedgehog, and Wingless.13-18 Thus, Perlecans have structural and signaling functions through the binding, storage, or sequestering of specific ligands. We have used the Drosophila ovary to assess the importance of Perlecan in the functioning of a stem cell niche. Ovarioles in the adult ovary are enveloped by an ECM sheath and possess a tapered structure at their anterior apex termed the germarium. The anterior tip of the germarium hosts the germline niche, where two to four germline stem cells (GSCs) reside together with a few somatic cells: terminal filament cells (TFCs), cap cells (CpCs), and escort cells (ECs).19 We report that niche architecture in the developing gonad requires trol, that niche cells secrete an isoform-specific Perlecan-rich interstitial matrix, and that DE-cadherin-dependent stem cell-niche adhesion necessitates trol. Hence, we provide evidence to support a structural role for Perlecan in germline niche establishment during larval stages and in the maintenance of a normal pool of stem cells in the adult niche.

| S-EPMC8405445 | biostudies-literature

Protocol for evaluating autophagy using LysoTracker staining in the epithelial follicle stem cells of the <i>Drosophila</i> ovary.

Project description:We have outlined the approach of visualizing autophagy specifically in the epithelial follicle stem cells of the Drosophila ovary using the LysoTracker dye. The advantage of using this protocol is that it details several techniques, including ovary dissection, immunofluorescence, and western blotting, that positively identify autophagy changes in a very small population of cells. One of the limitations of this protocol is that it needs to be combined with other genetic manipulations and positive markers of the autophagy pathway. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Singh et al., (2018).

| S-EPMC8209645 | biostudies-literature

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

OmicsDI is an Elixir interoperability service. Learn more ›

Tweets

OmicsDI Databases

PRIDE
PeptideAtlas
MassIVE
JPOST Repository
Physiome Model Repository

EGA
EVA
ENA
LINCS
PAXDB
Cell Collective

MetaboLights
Metabolomics Workbench
MetabolomeExpress
GNPS
BioModels
FAIRDOMHub

ArrayExpress
dbGaP
ExpressionAtlas
GEO
NODE

Information

Databases
Help
API
Contact us
Code on GitHub
Terms of use
Submit Data