Basolateral junction proteins regulate competition for the follicle stem cell niche in the Drosophila ovary.

ABSTRACT: Epithelial stem cells are routinely lost or damaged during adult life and must therefore be replaced to maintain homeostasis. Recent studies indicate that stem cell replacement occurs through neutral competition in many types of epithelial tissues, but little is known about the factors that determine competitive outcome. The epithelial follicle stem cells (FSCs) in the Drosophila ovary are regularly lost and replaced during normal homeostasis, and we show that FSC replacement conforms to a model of neutral competition. In addition, we found that FSCs mutant for the basolateral junction genes, lethal giant larvae (lgl) or discs large (dlg), undergo a biased competition for niche occupancy characterized by increased invasion of neighboring FSCs and reduced loss. Interestingly, FSCs mutant fo

SUBMITTER: Kronen MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4084627 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature