Genetic Control of Ovarian Follicle Development

9306159 Mahowald大多数动物的卵泡在减数分裂开始后不久就被卵泡上皮包围。已在果蝇中鉴定出一类基因，它们既是建立个体毛囊所必需的，也是胚胎分离神经母细胞所必需的。大脑发育分析(BRN)是这一类的一个例子，它提供了一个基本的生殖系信号，这是卵泡前细胞正常迁移到单个卵室周围所必需的。鱼雷基因(果蝇表皮生长因子受体的同源物)的微弱突变显示出突变表型的强烈增强，表明这种毛囊细胞功能可能是生殖系BRN信号的中介。BRN基因已经被绘制成分子图谱；它将被克隆、测序、制备抗体并分析其在野生型和突变型卵巢(卵巢结构或神经发生所需基因的突变型)中的表达。BRN和其他神经源性基因之间的相互作用将在转基因组织培养细胞中进行测试。最后，将进行突变筛查，以确定相互作用的基因和神经源性类别中的其他基因。这些研究应该为卵泡形成的分子控制提供第一个分析。***

9306159 Mahowald The ovarian follicle in most animal species becomes surrounded by a follicular epithelium soon after the inception of meiosis. A class of genes in Drosophila melanogaster have been identified that are required both for the establishment of individual follicles and for the embryonic segregation of neuroblasts. Developmental analysis of brainiac (brn), an example of this class, suggests that it provides an essential germline signal, required for normal migration of the prefollicular cells to surround individual egg chambers. Weak mutations in the torpedo gene (the homologue for the epidermal growth factor receptor in Drosophila) display a strong enhancement of the mutant phenotype, indicating that this follicle cell function may be the mediator of the germline brn signal. The brn gene has been mapped molecularly; it will be cloned, sequenced, antibodies prepared and its expression analyzed in both wild type and mutant ovaries (mutant for genes required for ovarian structure or neurogenesis). Interactions between brn and other neurogenic genes will be tested in transfected tissue culture cells. Finally, mutation screens to identify interacting genes and other genes in the neurogenic class will be conducted. These studies should provide a first analysis of the molecular control of ovarian follicle formation. ***