Somatic cAMP signaling regulates MSP-dependent oocyte growth and meiotic maturation in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Soma-germline interactions control fertility at many levels, including stem cell proliferation, meiosis and gametogenesis, yet the nature of these fundamental signaling mechanisms and their potential evolutionary conservation are incompletely understood. In C. elegans, a sperm-sensing mechanism regulates oocyte meiotic maturation and ovulation, tightly coordinating sperm availability and fertilization. Sperm release the major sperm protein (MSP) signal to trigger meiotic resumption (meiotic maturation) and to promote contraction of the follicle-like gonadal sheath cells that surround oocytes. Using genetic mosaic analysis, we show that all known MSP-dependent meiotic maturation events in the germline require Galpha(s)-adenylate cyclase signaling in the gonadal sheath cells. We show that th

SUBMITTER: Govindan JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2729340 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature