An autoregulatory switch in sex-specific phf7 transcription causes loss of sexual identity and tumors in the Drosophila female germline.

ABSTRACT: Maintenance of germ cell sexual identity is essential for reproduction. Entry into the spermatogenesis or oogenesis pathway requires that the appropriate gene network is activated and the antagonist network is silenced. For example, in Drosophila female germ cells, forced expression of the testis-specific PHD finger protein 7 (PHF7) disrupts oogenesis, leading to either an agametic or germ cell tumor phenotype. Here, we show that PHF7-expressing ovarian germ cells inappropriately express hundreds of genes, many of which are male germline genes. We find that the majority of genes under PHF7 control in female germ cells are not under PHF7 control in male germ cells, suggesting that PHF7 is acting in a tissue-specific manner. Remarkably, transcriptional reprogramming includes a positiv

SUBMITTER: Smolko AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7502600 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature