Protein Synthesis and Uptake by Isolated Cecropia Oocytes

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 735-750
Author(s):  
LUCY M. ANDERSON
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Perchloric Acid ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Blood Proteins ◽  
Cell Product

A procedure has been developed for separating the oocytes and follicular epithelium-nurse cell complexes making up the vitellogenic ovarian follicle of the Cecropia moth. Both components remained viable during short-term in vitro incubation in female blood. Isolated epithelial cells were found by autoradiography to incorporate tritiated amino acids and to secrete a fixable, non-dialysable labelled material. Isolated oocytes incubated in a blood medium containing this tritiated, dialysed follicle cell product incorporated it in small cortical yolk bodies, presumably by pinocytosis. Quantitative perchloric acid-precipitation and scintillation counting indicated that the amount of labelled material incorporated by the oocytes increased with time. These results provide direct confirmation of a follicle contribution to the yolk. Isolated oocytes were also tested for their ability to incorporate labelled amino acids. Fixable label was observed autoradiographically throughout the oocyte cytoplasm, with the greatest concentration in the cortex, but little appeared in the yolk spheres. The amount of perchloric acid-precipitable amino acid in oocytes incubated in female blood increased with time for up to 2 h and then remained constant or decreased slightly. In medium that had been previously conditioned by follicle cells and dialysed, however, incorporation of labelled amino acid continued for at least 4 h. A possible interpretation of this result is that stimulation of pinocytosis by the epithelial cell products causes increased turnover of cell membrane and demands continued synthesis of new proteins. Labelled female blood proteins were not incorporated into yolk to an appreciable extent by isolated oocytes, even in the presence of follicle cell product. Perhaps extracellular preconcentration, as occurs in the intact follicle, is necessary for effective accrual of blood proteins. The female blood proteins did become associated with the oocyte cortex, however, and exhibited a higher affinity for the oocyte than male blood proteins. Thus preferential adsorption to the oocyte surface may be a component of the selection process in vitellogenesis.

scholarly journals Establishment of dorsal-ventral polarity of theDrosophilaegg requirescapicuaaction in ovarian follicle cells

Development ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 4553-4562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Goff ◽  
Laura A. Nilson ◽  
Donald Morisato
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Nuclear Translocation ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Dorsal Side ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Egfr Signaling ◽  
Cell Nuclei

The dorsal-ventral pattern of the Drosophila egg is established during oogenesis. Epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) signaling within the follicular epithelium is spatially regulated by the dorsally restricted distribution of its presumptive ligand, Gurken. As a consequence, pipe is transcribed in a broad ventral domain to initiate the Toll signaling pathway in the embryo, resulting in a gradient of Dorsal nuclear translocation. We show that expression of pipe RNA requires the action of fettucine (fet) in ovarian follicle cells. Loss of maternal fet activity produces a dorsalized eggshell and embryo. Although similar mutant phenotypes are observed with regulators of Egfr signaling, genetic analysis suggests that fet acts downstream of this event. The fet mutant phenotype is rescued by a transgene of capicua (cic), which encodes an HMG-box transcription factor. We show that Cic protein is initially expressed uniformly in ovarian follicle cell nuclei, and is subsequently downregulated on the dorsal side. Earlier studies described a requirement for cic in repressing zygotic target genes of both the torso and Toll pathways in the embryo. Our experiments reveal that cic controls dorsal-ventral patterning by regulating pipe expression in ovarian follicle cells, before its previously described role in interpreting the Dorsal gradient.

scholarly journals Further evidence that mechanisms of host/symbiont integration are dissimilar in the maternal versus embryonic Acyrthosiphon pisum bacteriome

EvoDevo ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celeste R. Banfill ◽  
Alex C. C. Wilson ◽  
Hsiao-ling Lu
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Acyrthosiphon Pisum ◽  
Essential Amino Acids ◽  
Developmental Time ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Buchnera Aphidicola ◽  
Bacterial Endosymbionts ◽  
Asexual Embryogenesis

Abstract Background Host/symbiont integration is a signature of evolutionarily ancient, obligate endosymbioses. However, little is known about the cellular and developmental mechanisms of host/symbiont integration at the molecular level. Many insects possess obligate bacterial endosymbionts that provide essential nutrients. To advance understanding of the developmental and metabolic integration of hosts and endosymbionts, we track the localization of a non-essential amino acid transporter, ApNEAAT1, across asexual embryogenesis in the aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Previous work in adult bacteriomes revealed that ApNEAAT1 functions to exchange non-essential amino acids at the A. pisum/Buchnera aphidicola symbiotic interface. Driven by amino acid concentration gradients, ApNEAAT1 moves proline, serine, and alanine from A. pisum to Buchnera and cysteine from Buchnera to A. pisum. Here, we test the hypothesis that ApNEAAT1 is localized to the symbiotic interface during asexual embryogenesis. Results During A. pisum asexual embryogenesis, ApNEAAT1 does not localize to the symbiotic interface. We observed ApNEAAT1 localization to the maternal follicular epithelium, the germline, and, in late-stage embryos, to anterior neural structures and insect immune cells (hemocytes). We predict that ApNEAAT1 provisions non-essential amino acids to developing oocytes and embryos, as well as to the brain and related neural structures. Additionally, ApNEAAT1 may perform roles related to host immunity. Conclusions Our work provides further evidence that the embryonic and adult bacteriomes of asexual A. pisum are not equivalent. Future research is needed to elucidate the developmental time point at which the bacteriome reaches maturity.

Juvenile hormone increases ouabain-binding capacity of microsomal preparations from vitellogenic follicle cells

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 826-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Ilenchuk ◽  
K. G. Davey
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Scatchard Analysis ◽  
Ouabain Binding ◽  
Binding Characteristics ◽  
Brain Microsomes

A comparison has been made of the effects of juvenile hormone (JH) on the binding characteristics for ouabain of microsomes prepared from brain and from cells of the follicular epithelium surrounding previtellogenic or vitellogenic oocytes in Rhodnius. JH has no effect on the binding of ouabain to brain microsomes and decreases the Kd, but does not alter the Bmax for previtellogenic follicle cells. For vitellogenic follicle cells, Scatchard analysis reveals a curvilinear relationship, which is interpreted as indicating that a new population of JH-sensitive ouabain-binding sites develops as the follicle cell enters vitellogenesis. These results are related to earlier data obtained on the effect of JH on ATPase activity, volume changes in isolated follicle cells, and the development of spaces between the cells of the follicular epithelium.

Studies on the Ovarian Follicle Cells of Drosophila

1963 ◽  
Vol s3-104 (67) ◽  
pp. 297-320
Author(s):  
R. C. KING ◽  
ELIZABETH A. KOCH
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Vitelline Membrane ◽  
Membrane Material ◽  
Adjacent Layer ◽  
Membrane Formation ◽  
Precursor Material ◽  
Egg Shell

Studies are described of the ultrastructure of the follicle cells which invest the oocyte of Drosophila melanogaster at the time of vitelline membrane formation. Of particular interest are organelles made up of endoplasmic reticulum organized into a husk of concentric lamellae which surround lipidal droplets. These epithelial bodies are seen only at the time the vitelline membrane is being formed, and it is assumed therefore that the lipidal material of the epithelial body may be utilized somehow in the fabrication of the vitelline membrane. Cytochemical studies have shown this membrane to contain at least 5 classes of compounds; a protein, two lipids (which may be distinguished by differences in their resistance to extraction by various solvents), and 2 polysaccharides (1 neutral and 1 acidic). Studies were made of vitelline membrane formation in the ovaries of flies homozygous for either of 2 recessive, female-sterile genes (tiny and female sterile). In the case of the ty mutation vitelline membrane material is sometimes secreted between follicle and nurse cells, while in the mutant fes vitelline membrane is observed in rare instances to be secreted between follicle cells and an adjacent layer of tumour cells. In the latter case the vitelline membrane shows altered cytochemical properties. The fact that vitelline membrane can be secreted by follicle cells not adjacent to an oocyte demonstrates that it is the follicle cell rather than the oocyte that plays the major role in the secretion of the precursor material of the vitelline membrane. Subsequently the follicle cells secrete the egg-shell, or chorion, which is subdivided into a dense, compartmented, inner endochorion, and a pale, outer exochorion. A description is given of the ultrastructure of the follicle cells during the secretion of the endochorion and the exochorion. The endochorion contains a protein, a polysaccharide, and a lipid, all of which may be distinguished cytochemically from the vitelline membrane compounds. The exochorion contains large amounts of acidic mucopolysaccharides. Specialized follicle cells form the micropylar apparatus and the chorionic appendages. The formation of the chorion and chorionic appendages is discussed in the light of information gained from abnormalities of the chorions and chorionic appendages seen in ty and fs 2.1 oocytes. Subsequent to the time the egg leaves the ovariole a layer of waterproofing wax is secreted between the vitelline membrane and the chorion.

Patterning of the follicle cell epithelium along the anterior-posterior axis during Drosophila oogenesis

Development ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 125 (15) ◽  
pp. 2837-2846 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Reyes ◽  
D. St Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Axis Formation ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Drosophila Oogenesis ◽  
Egfr Mutant ◽  
Anterior Posterior ◽  
Anterior Posterior Axis

Gurken signals from the oocyte to the adjacent follicle cells twice during Drosophila oogenesis; first to induce posterior fate, thereby polarising the anterior-posterior axis of the future embryo and then to induce dorsal fate and polarise the dorsal-ventral axis. Here we show that Gurken induces two different follicle cell fates because the follicle cells at the termini of the egg chamber differ in their competence to respond to Gurken from the main-body follicle cells in between. By removing the putative Gurken receptor, Egfr, in clones of cells, we show that Gurken signals directly to induce posterior fate in about 200 cells, defining a terminal competence domain that extends 10–11 cell diameters from the pole. Furthermore, small clones of Egfr mutant cells at the posterior interpret their position with respect to the pole and differentiate as the appropriate anterior cell type. Thus, the two terminal follicle cell populations contain a symmetric prepattern that is independent of Gurken signalling. These results suggest a three-step model for the anterior-posterior patterning of the follicular epithelium that subdivides this axis into at least five distinct cell types. Finally, we show that Notch plays a role in both the specification and patterning of the terminal follicle cells, providing a possible explanation for the defect in anterior-posterior axis formation caused by Notch and Delta mutants.

Consistency and Change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Peptide Bond ◽  
The Body ◽  
Blood Proteins ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Fundamental Phenomenon ◽  
P Proteins

Proteins are, in my view, the most impressive molecules in food. They influence the texture, crunch, chew, flow, color, flavor, and nutritional quality of food. Not only that, but they can radically change their properties and how they behave depending on the environment and, critically for food, in response to processes like heating. Even when broken down into smaller components they are important, for example giving cheese many of its critical flavor notes. Indeed, I would argue that perhaps the most fundamental phenomenon we encounter in cooking or processing food is the denaturation of proteins, as will be explained shortly. Beyond food, the value of proteins and their properties is widespread across biology. Many of the most significant molecules in our body and that of any living organism (including plants and animals) are proteins. These include those that make hair and skin what they are, as well as the hemoglobin that transports oxygen around the body in our blood. Proteins are built from amino acids, a family of 20 closely related small molecules, which all have in chemical terms the same two ends (chemically speaking, an amino end and an acidic end, hence the name) but differ in the middle. This bit in the middle varies from amino acid to amino acid, from simple (a hydrogen atom in the case of glycine, the simplest amino acid) to much more complex structures. Amino acids can link up very neatly, as the amino end of one can form a bond (called a peptide bond) with the acid end of another, and so forth, so that chains of amino acids are formed that, when big enough (more than a few dozen amino acids), we call proteins. Our bodies produce thousands of proteins for different functions, and the instructions for which amino acids combine to make which proteins are essentially what the genetic code encrypted in our DNA specifies. We hear a lot about our genes encoding the secrets of life, but what that code spells is basically P-R-O-T-E-I-N. Yes, these are very important molecules!

scholarly journals Drosophila insulin-like peptide 8 (DILP8) in ovarian follicle cells regulates ovulation and metabolism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sifang Liao ◽  
Dick R. Nässel
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Ovary Development ◽  
Peripheral Neurons ◽  
Efferent Neurons

AbstractIn Drosophila eight insulin-like peptides (DILP1-8) are encoded on separate genes. These DILPs are characterized by unique spatial and temporal expression patterns during the lifecycle. Whereas functions of several of the DILPs have been extensively investigated at different developmental stages, the role of DILP8 signaling is primarily known from larvae and pupae where it couples organ growth and developmental transitions. In adult female flies, a study showed that a specific set of neurons that express the DILP8 receptor, Lgr3, is involved in regulation of reproductive behavior. Here, we further investigated the expression of dilp8/DILP8 and Lgr3 in adult female flies and the functional role of DILP8 signaling. The only site where we found both dilp8 expression and DILP8 immunolabeling was in follicle cells of mature ovaries. Lgr3 expression was detected in numerous neurons in the brain and ventral nerve cord, a small set of peripheral neurons innervating the abdominal heart, as well as in a set of follicle cells close to the oviduct. Ovulation was affected in dilp8 mutants as well as after dilp8-RNAi using dilp8 and follicle cell Gal4 drivers. More eggs were retained in the ovaries and fewer were laid, indicating that DILP8 is important for ovulation. Our data suggest that DILP8 signals locally to Lgr3 expressing follicle cells as well as systemically to Lgr3 expressing efferent neurons in abdominal ganglia that innervate oviduct muscle. Thus, DILP8 may act at two targets to regulate ovulation: follicle cell rupture and oviduct contractions. Furthermore, we could show that manipulations of dilp8 expression affect food intake and starvation resistance. Possibly this reflects a feedback signaling between ovaries and the CNS that ensures nutrients for ovary development. In summary, it seems that DILP8 signaling in regulation of reproduction is an ancient function, conserved in relaxin signaling in mammals.

Drosophila bunched integrates opposing DPP and EGF signals to set the operculum boundary

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.L. Dobens ◽  
J.S. Peterson ◽  
J. Treisman ◽  
L.A. Raftery
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Egf Receptor ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Sharp Boundary ◽  
Smad Protein ◽  
Multiple Cell ◽  
Egf Signaling

The Drosophila BMP homolog DPP can function as a morphogen, inducing multiple cell fates across a developmental field. However, it is unknown how graded levels of extracellular DPP are interpreted to organize a sharp boundary between different fates. Here we show that opposing DPP and EGF signals set the boundary for an ovarian follicle cell fate. First, DPP regulates gene expression in the follicle cells that will create the operculum of the eggshell. DPP induces expression of the enhancer trap reporter A359 and represses expression of bunched, which encodes a protein similar to the mammalian transcription factor TSC-22. Second, DPP signaling indirectly regulates A359 expression in these cells by downregulating expression of bunched. Reduced bunched function restores A359 expression in cells that lack the Smad protein MAD; ectopic expression of BUNCHED suppresses A359 expression in this region. Importantly, reduction of bunched function leads to an expansion of the operculum and loss of the collar at its boundary. Third, EGF signaling upregulates expression of bunched. We previously demonstrated that the bunched expression pattern requires the EGF receptor ligand GURKEN. Here we show that activated EGF receptor is sufficient to induce ectopic bunched expression. Thus, the balance of DPP and EGF signals sets the boundary of bunched expression. We propose that the juxtaposition of cells with high and low BUNCHED activity organizes a sharp boundary for the operculum fate.

Ectopic activation of torpedo/Egfr, a Drosophila receptor tyrosine kinase, dorsalizes both the eggshell and the embryo

Development ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 124 (19) ◽  
pp. 3871-3880 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M. Queenan ◽  
A. Ghabrial ◽  
T. Schupbach
Keyword(s):  
Cell Fate ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells ◽  
Follicular Epithelium ◽  
Cell Fates ◽  
Egfr Activation ◽  
Egg Chamber ◽  
Anterior Posterior ◽  
Anterior Posterior Axis

The Drosophila gene torpedo/Egfr (top/Egfr) encodes a homolog of the vertebrate Epidermal Growth Factor receptor. This receptor is required several times during the life cycle of the fly for the transmisson of developmental cues. During oogenesis, Top/Egfr activation is required for the establishment of the dorsal/ventral axis of the egg and the embryo. To examine how ectopic Top/Egfr activation affects cell fate determination, we constructed an activated version of the protein. Expression of this activated form (lambda top) in the follicle cells of the ovary induces dorsal cell fates in both the follicular epithelium and the embryo. Different levels of expression resulted in different dorsal follicle cell fates. These dorsal cell fates were expanded in the anterior, but not the posterior, of the egg, even in cases where all the follicle cells covering the oocyte expressed lambda top. The expression of genes known to respond to top/Egfr activation, argos (aos), kekkon1 (kek 1) and rhomboid (rho), was also expanded in the presence of the lambda top construct. When lambda top was expressed in all the follicle cells covering the oocyte, kek 1 and argos expression was induced in follicle cells all along the anterior/posterior axis of the egg chamber. In contrast, rho RNA expression was only activated in the anterior of the egg chamber. These data indicate that the response to Top/Egfr signaling is regulated by an anterior/posterior prepattern in the follicle cells. Expression of lambda top in the entire follicular epithelium resulted in an embryo dorsalized along the entire anterior/posterior axis. Expression of lambda top in anterior or posterior subpopulations of follicle cells resulted in regionally autonomous dorsalization of the embryos. This result indicates that subpopulations of follicle cells along the anterior/posterior axis can respond to Top/Egfr activation independently of one another.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Repressor Functions of Drosophila E2F1 and E2F2 Cooperate To Inhibit Genomic DNA Synthesis in Ovarian Follicle Cells

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2123-2134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pelin Cayirlioglu ◽  
William O. Ward ◽  
S. Catherine Silver Key ◽  
Robert J. Duronio
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Synthesis ◽  
Gene Amplification ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Ovarian Follicle ◽  
Cell Cycle Control ◽  
Control Cell ◽  
Follicle Cell ◽  
Follicle Cells

ABSTRACT Individual members of the E2F/DP protein family control cell cycle progression by acting predominantly as an activator or repressor of transcription. In Drosophila melanogaster the E2f1, E2f2, Dp, and Rbf1 genes all contribute to replication control in ovarian follicle cells, which become 16C polyploid and subsequently undergo chorion gene amplification late in oogenesis. Mutation of E2f2, Dp, or Rbf1 causes ectopic DNA replication throughout the follicle cell genome during gene amplification cycles. Here we show by both reverse transcription-PCR and DNA microarray analysis that the transcripts of prereplication complex (pre-RC) genes are elevated compared to the wild type in E2f2, Dp, and Rbf1 mutant follicle cells. For some genes the magnitude of this transcriptional derepression is greater in Rbf1 than in E2f2 mutants. These differences correlate with differences in the magnitude of the replication defects in follicle cells, which attain an inappropriate 32C DNA content in both Rbf1 and Dp mutants but not in E2f2 mutants. The ectopic genomic replication of E2f2 mutant follicle cells can be suppressed by reducing the Orc2, Orc5, or Mcm2 gene dose by half, indicating that small changes in pre-RC gene expression can affect DNA synthesis in these cells. We conclude that RBF1 forms complexes with both E2F1/DP and E2F2/DP that cooperate to repress the expression of pre-RC genes, which helps confine DNA synthesis to sites of gene amplification. In contrast, E2F1 and E2F2 repressors function redundantly for some genes in the embryo. Thus, the relative functional contributions of E2F1 and E2F2 to gene expression and cell cycle control depends on the developmental context.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document