Wingless signaling initiates mitosis of primordial germ cells during development in Drosophila

• Published in: Mechanisms of development Vol. 125; no. 5-6; pp. 498 - 507
• Main Authors: Sato, Takuya, Ueda, Sachie, Niki, Yuzo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.05.2008
• Subjects: Animals; beta Catenin - metabolism; beta Catenin - physiology; Crosses, Genetic; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Germ Cells - cytology; Hot Temperature; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Mitosis; Models, Biological; Primordial germ cell; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - physiology; Sex Characteristics; Sexual dimorphism; Signal Transduction; Time Factors; Wnt signaling; Wnt1 Protein; Wnt signaling; Primordial germ cell; Sexual dimorphism; Mitosis; Drosophila
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2008.01.004

The germline cells of Drosophila are derived from pole cells, which form at the posterior pole of the blastoderm and become primordial germ cells (PGCs). To elucidate the signal transduction pathways for the development of embryonic PGCs, we examined the effects of various growth factors on the proliferation of PGCs. Up- and down-regulation of Wingless (Wg) in both of soma and PGCs caused an increase and a decrease in the number of PGCs, respectively. The Wg/β-catenin signaling pathway began to occur in PGCs at the same time as the PGCs began to divide during the embryonic stage in both sexes. In addition, PGCs were found to produce wg mRNA as they begin to divide. Thus, Wg functions as an autocrine factor to initiate mitosis in embryonic PGCs. Decapentaplegic affected the growth of PGCs from the end of the embryonic stage. The results indicate that these growth factors regulate the division of embryonic PGCs in a stage-specific manner.