SOMATIC CELLS AND SPERMATOCYTE MAINTENANCE IN DROSOPHILA

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The incidence of testicular cancers and of male infertility is increasing. Insight into the cellular causes of this can only come with a systematic understanding of the regulatory pathways governing spermatogenesis. In order to generate functional sperm, several diverse cellular processes are coordinated during spermatogenesis. These processes include the growth and maturation of spermatocytes, which occurs in close association with surrounding somatic cells, suggesting that soma-germline communication is involved. This proposal focuses on spermatogenesis in Drosophila, which is similar to that in mammals, and in which genetic analysis provides a way to systematically dissect the signals necessary for spermatocyte development. The transcriptional activator Eyes absent (Eya) is expressed in somatic cyst cells where it is required for the maintenance of encysted spermatocytes. Sine oculis (So), a homeodomain protein that appears to act in a transcriptional regulatory complex with Eya, is also required for spermatocyte maintenance. The hypothesis to be tested is that an Eya/So-dependent signal from cyst cells is required for spermatocyte development. The role of Eya/So in cyst cell fate and behavior will be assessed. In addition, the stage at which Eya and So affect spermatocyte development will be defined. Next, the ectopic expression of Eya and So will test whether the Eya/So-dependent signal is permissive or instructive. Complementary approaches, including the analysis of 40 spermatocyte degeneration mutants and a genetic screen for suppressors, will attempt to identify the signal from somatic cells, or components of its response in spermatocytes.