Drosophila mitoferrin is essential for male fertility: evidence for a role of mitochondrial iron metabolism during spermatogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mammals and Drosophila melanogaster share some striking similarities in spermatogenesis. Mitochondria in spermatids undergo dramatic morphological changes and syncytial spermatids are stripped from their cytoplasm and then individually wrapped by single membranes in an individualization process. In mammalian and fruit fly testis, components of the mitochondrial iron metabolism are expressed, but so far their function during spermatogenesis is unknown. Here we investigate the role of Drosophila mitoferrin (dmfrn), which is a mitochondrial carrier protein with an established role in the mitochondrial iron metabolism, during spermatogenesis.

Results

We found that P-element insertions into the 5'-untranslated region of the dmfrn gene cause recessive male sterility, wh

SUBMITTER: Metzendorf C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2905335 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature