Genetic Control of Ovarian Follicle Development

小行星9306159 大多数动物的卵泡在减数分裂开始后不久就被卵泡上皮所包围。黑腹果蝇中的一类基因已经被鉴定，它们是个体卵泡的建立和成神经细胞的胚胎分离所必需的。对brainiac（brn）的发育分析表明，它提供了一种基本的生殖细胞信号，这是前卵泡细胞正常迁移到单个卵腔周围所必需的。鱼雷基因（果蝇表皮生长因子受体的同源物）的弱突变显示出突变表型的强烈增强，表明这种卵泡细胞功能可能是生殖系brn信号的介导者。brn基因已经被分子定位，它将被克隆，测序，抗体制备，并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体）中分析其表达。brn和其他神经基因之间的相互作用将在转染的组织培养细胞中进行测试。最后，突变筛选，以确定相互作用的基因和其他基因的神经类将进行。这些研究将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. ***