Mating induces switch from hormone-dependent to hormone-independent steroid receptor-mediated growth in Drosophila secondary cells.

ABSTRACT: Male reproductive glands like the mammalian prostate and the paired Drosophila melanogaster accessory glands secrete seminal fluid components that enhance fecundity. In humans, the prostate, stimulated by environmentally regulated endocrine and local androgens, grows throughout adult life. We previously showed that in fly accessory glands, secondary cells (SCs) and their nuclei also grow in adults, a process enhanced by mating and controlled by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling. Here, we demonstrate that BMP-mediated SC growth is dependent on the receptor for the developmental steroid ecdysone, whose concentration is reported to reflect sociosexual experience in adults. BMP signalling appears to regulate ecdysone receptor (EcR) levels via one or more mechanisms involving the EcR'

SUBMITTER: Leiblich A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6797231 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature