Abstract
Maintenance of stem cells requires spatially restricted, niche-associated signals. In the Drosophila female germline stem cell (GSC) niche, Decapentaplegic (DPP) is the primary niche-associated factor and functions over a short range to promote GSC self-renewal rather than differentiation. Here, we show that the GSC lineage and, more specifically, the stem cells themselves participate in the spatial restriction of DPP function by activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in the surrounding somatic cells. EGFR-MAPK signaling in somatic cells repressed the expression of dally, which encodes a glypican required for DPP movement and stability. Consequently, only GSCs close to the DPP source (the somatic cells in the niche) showed high signal activation and were maintained as stem cells, whereas cystoblasts outside the niche showed low signal activation and initiated differentiation. Thus, our data reveal that the reciprocal crosstalk between the GSCs and the somatic cells defines the spatial limits of DPP action and therefore the extent of the GSC niche.
Publication types
-
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Cell Lineage*
-
Drosophila Proteins / genetics
-
Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
-
Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
-
Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
-
ErbB Receptors / genetics
-
ErbB Receptors / metabolism
-
Female
-
Germ Cells / cytology
-
Germ Cells / metabolism
-
Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
-
Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
-
Homeostasis
-
Immunohistochemistry
-
Male
-
Membrane Proteins / genetics
-
Membrane Proteins / metabolism
-
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics
-
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
-
Mutation
-
Organelles / metabolism
-
RNA Interference
-
Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide / genetics
-
Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide / metabolism
-
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
-
Signal Transduction
-
Stem Cell Niche / cytology
-
Stem Cell Niche / metabolism*
-
Stem Cells / cytology
-
Stem Cells / metabolism*
-
raf Kinases / genetics
-
raf Kinases / metabolism
-
ras Proteins / genetics
-
ras Proteins / metabolism
Substances
-
Drosophila Proteins
-
Membrane Proteins
-
Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide
-
Stet protein, Drosophila
-
dpp protein, Drosophila
-
Green Fluorescent Proteins
-
Egfr protein, Drosophila
-
ErbB Receptors
-
raf Kinases
-
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
-
ras Proteins