poly is required for nurse cell chromosome dispersal and oocyte polarity in Drosophila

• Published in: Fly (Austin, Tex.) Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 128 - 136
• Main Authors: Klusza, Stephen, Deng, Wu-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.04.2010
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Binding; Biology; Bioscience; Calcium; Cancer; Cell; Cell Polarity - genetics; Cell Polarity - physiology; Chromosomes - physiology; Cycle; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - physiology; Female; Genes, Insect; Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics; Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins - genetics; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins - physiology; Landes; Molecular Sequence Data; Mosaicism; Mutation; Oocytes - cytology; Oocytes - physiology; Oogenesis - genetics; Oogenesis - physiology; Organogenesis; Phenotype; Proteins; Ribonucleoproteins - genetics; Ribonucleoproteins - physiology; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Transforming Growth Factor alpha - genetics; Transforming Growth Factor alpha - physiology; Wings, Animal - growth & development
• DOI: 10.4161/fly.4.2.11954
• ISSN: 1933-6934

During Drosophila oogenesis, nurse cells undergo changes in chromosomal morphology, first from the polytenic form to a transient condensed phase known as the five-blob configuration, then into a diffuse polytenic-polyploid state for the remainder of oogenesis.  The mechanism by which nurse-cell chromosome dispersal is regulated remains elusive.  Mutations in several genes, including the heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein genes squid (sqd) and hrb27C, the alternative splicing factor gene poly U binding factor 68kDa (pUf68, also known as half-pint), and the germ-line-specific gene ovarian tumor (otu), that produce defects in nurse-cell chromosome dispersal also produce defects in oocyte polarity, suggesting a link between these two processes.  Here, we characterize a novel gene named poly, which, when mutated in the germ line, disrupts nurse-cell chromosome dispersal, as well as localization of anteroposterior and dorsoventral determinants in the oocyte.  We also show that poly interacts genetically with hrb27C and otu. We conclude that poly is required for nurse-cell chromosome dispersal and oocyte polarization in the Drosophila germ-line.  In addition, our interaction data suggest that poly is probably a member of the characterized mRNP complex that mediates both processes.