Germ cell-autonomous
Wunen2 is required for germline development in Drosophila embryos
Hanyu-Nakamura K, Kobayashi S and Nakamura A
Development 131(18):4545-53 (2004)
SUMMARY
In many animals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrate through the embryo
towards the future gonad, a process guided by attractive and repulsive
cues provided from surrounding somatic cells. In Drosophila, the two related
lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs), Wunen (Wun) and Wun2, are thought
to degrade extracellular substrates and to act redundantly in somatic
cells to provide a repulsive environment to steer the migration of PGCs,
or pole cells. Wun and Wun2 also affect the viability of pole cells, because
overexpression of either one in somatic cells causes pole cell death.
However, the means by which they regulate pole cell migration and survival
remains elusive. We report that Wun2 has a maternal function required
for the survival of pole cells during their migration to the gonad. Maternal
wun2 RNA was found to be concentrated in pole cells and pole cell-specific
expression of wun2 rescued the pole cell death phenotype of the maternal
wun2 mutant, suggesting that wun2 activity in pole cells is required for
their survival. Furthermore, we obtained genetic evidence that pole cell
survival requires a proper balance of LPP activity in pole cells and somatic
cells. We propose that Wun2 in pole cells competes with somatic Wun and
Wun2 for a common lipid phosphate substrate, which is required by pole
cells to produce their survival signal. In somatic cells, Wun and Wun2
may provide a repulsive environment for pole cell migration by depleting
this extracellular substrate.
LINK
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=15342479