Hormone receptor 4 is required in muscles and distinct ovarian cell types to regulate specific steps of Drosophila oogenesis

• Published in: Development (Cambridge) Vol. 148; no. 5
• Main Authors: Weaver, Lesley N, Drummond-Barbosa, Daniela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Company of Biologists Ltd 09.03.2021
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified - metabolism; Cell Proliferation; Drosophila - growth & development; Drosophila - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Female; Germ Cells - cytology; Germ Cells - metabolism; Muscles - cytology; Muscles - metabolism; Oogenesis - genetics; Ovarian Follicle - growth & development; Ovarian Follicle - metabolism; Ovary - cytology; Ovary - metabolism; Ovum - growth & development; Ovum - metabolism; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - genetics; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; RNA Interference; RNA, Small Interfering - metabolism; Stem Cells and Regeneration; Oogenesis; Muscle; Hr4; Drosophila; Stem cell; Germline
• ISSN: 0950-1991; 1477-9129
• DOI: 10.1242/dev.198663

The conserved nuclear receptor superfamily has crucial roles in many processes, including reproduction. Nuclear receptors with known roles in oogenesis have been studied mostly in the context of their ovary-intrinsic requirement. Recent studies in , however, have begun to reveal new roles of nuclear receptor signaling in peripheral tissues in controlling reproduction. Here, we identified Hormone receptor 4 (Hr4) as an oogenesis regulator required in the ovary and muscles. Global knockdown leads to increased germline stem cell (GSC) loss, reduced GSC proliferation, early germline cyst death, slowed follicle growth and vitellogenic follicle degeneration. Tissue-specific knockdown experiments uncovered ovary-intrinsic and peripheral tissue requirements for In the ovary, Hr4 is required in the niche for GSC proliferation and in the germline for GSC maintenance. Hr4 functions in muscles to promote GSC maintenance and follicle growth. The specific tissues that require Hr4 for survival of early germline cysts and vitellogenic follicles remain unidentified. These results add to the few examples of muscles controlling gametogenesis and expand our understanding of the complexity of nuclear receptor regulation of various aspects of oogenesis.