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Drosophila males differentially express small proteins regulating stem cell division frequency in response to mating

ABSTRACT: : The germline stem cells (GSCs) in the male gonad of Drosophila can increase their division frequency in response to a demand for more sperm caused by repeated mating. However, the molecules and mechanisms regulating and mediating this response have yet to be fully explored. Here, we present the results of a transcriptome analysis comparing expression from the testis tips from non-mated and mated males. An overlapping set of 18 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from two independent wild-type (wt) strains revealed that the majority of the DEGs encode secreted proteins, which suggests roles for them in cell-cell interactions. Consistent with a role for secretion in regulating GSC divisions, knocking down Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) components within the germline cells using RNA Interference (RNAi), prevented the increase in GSC division frequency in response to mating. The major class of DEGs encodes polypeptides below the size of 250 amino acids, also known as small proteins. Upon reducing germline expression of small proteins, males no longer increased GSC division frequency after repeated mating. We hypothesize that mating induces cellular interactions via small proteins to ensure continued GSC divisions for the production of sperm.

ORGANISM(S): Drosophila melanogaster

PROVIDER: GSE296024 | GEO | 2025/06/02

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Animals can thrive on variable food resources as a result of autonomous processes and beneficial relationships with their gut microbes. Food intake elicits major physiological changes, which are compensated with transient systemic responses that maintain homeostasis in the organism. This integration of external information occurs through cellular sensory elements, such as nuclear receptors, which modulate gene expression in response to specific cues. Given the importance of the germline stem cells (GSCs) for the development of the germ line and the continuity of the species, it is reasonable to assume that GSCs might be shielded from the negative influence of environmental perturbations. To our knowledge, however, there are no mechanisms reported that protect proliferating germ cells from harmful dietary metabolites. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, we report that the somatic activity of the conserved nuclear receptor nhr-114/HNF4 protects GSC divisions and GSC integrity from dietary metabolites. In the absence of nhr-114 and on certain bacterial diets, otherwise somatically normal animals accumulate germ cell division defects during development and become sterile. We find that in nhr-114(-) animals the induction of germline defects and sterility depends on the bacterial metabolic status with respect to the essential amino acid tryptophan. This illustrates an animal-microbe interaction in which somatic nuclear receptor activity preserves the germline by buffering against dietary metabolites, likely through a somatic detoxifying response. Overall, our findings uncover an unprecedented and presumably evolutionary conserved soma-to-germline axis of communication that maintains reproductive robustness on variable food resources. Trasncriptional profiles of adult sterile nhr-114(RNAi) animals were compared to those of sterile glp-1(q224ts) animals. Independently, the transcriptional profiles of wild type animals fed an OP50 diet supplemented with Tryptophan was compared to wild type animals fed a standard OP50 diet.

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Drosophila males differentially express small proteins regulating stem cell division frequency in response to mating

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