Cyclin E-dependent protein kinase activity regulates niche retention of Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Whether stem cells have unique cell cycle machineries and how they integrate with niche interactions remains largely unknown. We identified a hypomorphic cyclin E allele WX that strongly impairs the maintenance of follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the Drosophila ovary but does not reduce follicle cell proliferation or germline stem cell maintenance. CycE(WX) protein can still bind to the cyclin-dependent kinase catalytic subunit Cdk2, but forms complexes with reduced protein kinase activity measured in vitro. By creating additional CycE variants with different degrees of kinase dysfunction and expressing these and CycE(WX) at different levels, we found that higher CycE-Cdk2 kinase activity is required for FSC maintenance than to support follicle cell proliferation. Surprisingly, cycE(WX) FSCs

SUBMITTER: Wang ZA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2799841 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature