A Niche Maintaining Germ Line Stem Cells in the Drosophila Ovary

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 290; no. 5490; pp. 328 - 330
• Main Authors: Xie, Ting, Spradling, Allan C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 13.10.2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Communication; Cell Differentiation; Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis; Cell physiology; Cells; Cellular biology; Cellular differentiation; Cysts; Daughter cells; Daughters; Drosophila; Drosophila - cytology; Drosophila - physiology; Female; Females; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germ cells; Germ Cells - cytology; Germ Cells - physiology; Individualized Instruction; Insects; Intercellular Junctions - physiology; Models, Biological; Molecular and cellular biology; Mutation; Oocytes - cytology; Oocytes - physiology; Ovaries; Ovarioles; Ovary - cytology; Reproductive system; Somatic cells; Stem cells; Stem Cells - cytology; Stem Cells - physiology; Stromal cells; Stromal Cells - cytology; Stromal Cells - physiology; Transgenes; United States; Ovary; Arthropoda; Insecta; Stem cell; Drosophila; Germ line; Invertebrata; Cell differentiation; Gene expression; Diptera; Oocyte; Drosophilidae
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.290.5490.328

Stromal cells are thought to generate specific regulatory microenviroments or "niches" that control stem cell behavior. Characterizing stem cell niches in vivo remains an important goal that has been difficult to achieve. The individual ovarioles of the Drosophila ovary each contain about two germ line stem cells that maintain oocyte production. Here we show that anterior ovariolar somatic cells comprising three cell types act as a germ line stem cell niche. Germ line stem cells lost by normal or induced differentiation are efficiently replaced, and the ability to repopulate the niche increases the functional lifetime of ovarioles in vivo. Our studies implicate one of the somatic cell types, the cap cells, as a key niche component.