Adult stem cells have remarkable ability to self-renew and generate differentiated cells that maintain homeostasis in adult tissues. They have been shown to be located in and regulated by the niche. A major challenge in stem cell research is to identify and understand functions of extrinsic signals and intrinsic factors that control stem cell self-renewal. The long-term goal of this project will be to gain a greater understanding of how stem cell self-renewal is controlled by intrinsic factors and niche signals using Drosophila ovarian germline stem cells (GSCs) as a model system. The Drosophila ovary represents an attractive system to study stem cells and their niche at the molecular and cellular level due to powerful genetics and easily identified stem cells. We have recently shown that Gbb/BMP5-8 and Dpp/BMP2-4 from the niche control GSC self- renewal by repressing expression of a differentiation-promoting gene bam. We have also shown that E- cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is required for anchoring GSCs to their niche and that a chromatin remodeling factor ISWI and a translation regulator Pelota are required for controlling GSC self-renewal. However, it still remains largely unclear how niche signals cooperate with intrinsic factors to control GSC self-renewal.
Three specific aims of this proposed study are:(1) to use a combination of molecular, genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches to determine how BMP signaling interacts with chromatin remodeling factors to repress bam expression and thereby maintain self-renewal; (2) to use a combination of molecular, genetic and cell biological approaches to investigate how niche activity is regulated by studying genetic relationships between a newly identified niche gene shk and the BMP pathway; (3) to molecularly and genetically characterize genes that are required for GSC self-renewal. The results from this proposed study will lead to a greater understanding of how niche signals and intrinsic factors work cooperatively to control GSC self-renewal. The mechanisms controlling Drosophila ovarian GSCs are likely fundamental to understanding adult mammalian stem cells since stem cells from diverse organisms share similar """"""""sternness"""""""" properties. Stem cells have been advocated to treat a variety of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and have also been connected to cancer and aging. Therefore, this proposed study will surely contribute to a better understanding of stem cell biology, cancer formation and aging as well as to using stem cells in future regenerative medicine.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM064428-07
Application #
7333264
Study Section
Development - 2 Study Section (DEV2)
Program Officer
Haynes, Susan R
Project Start
2002-01-01
Project End
2010-12-31
Budget Start
2008-01-01
Budget End
2008-12-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$270,300
Indirect Cost
Name
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
Department
Type
DUNS #
614653652
City
Kansas City
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
64110
Pan, Lei; Wang, Su; Lu, Tinglin et al. (2014) Protein competition switches the function of COP9 from self-renewal to differentiation. Nature 514:233-6
Ma, Xing; Wang, Su; Do, Trieu et al. (2014) Piwi is required in multiple cell types to control germline stem cell lineage development in the Drosophila ovary. PLoS One 9:e90267
Tian, Jianjun Paul; Jin, Zhigang; Xie, Ting (2012) Mathematical model for two germline stem cells competing for niche occupancy. Bull Math Biol 74:1207-25
Kirilly, Daniel; Wang, Su; Xie, Ting (2011) Self-maintained escort cells form a germline stem cell differentiation niche. Development 138:5087-97
Chen, Shuyi; Wang, Su; Xie, Ting (2011) Restricting self-renewal signals within the stem cell niche: multiple levels of control. Curr Opin Genet Dev 21:684-9
Wang, Xiaoxi; Pan, Lei; Wang, Su et al. (2011) Histone H3K9 trimethylase Eggless controls germline stem cell maintenance and differentiation. PLoS Genet 7:e1002426
Chen, Shuyi; Kaneko, Satoshi; Ma, Xing et al. (2010) Lissencephaly-1 controls germline stem cell self-renewal through modulating bone morphogenetic protein signaling and niche adhesion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:19939-44
Shen, Run; Weng, Changjiang; Yu, Junjing et al. (2009) eIF4A controls germline stem cell self-renewal by directly inhibiting BAM function in the Drosophila ovary. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:11623-8
Xie, T; Song, X; Jin, Z et al. (2008) Interactions between stem cells and their niche in the Drosophila ovary. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 73:39-47
Jin, Zhigang; Kirilly, Daniel; Weng, Changjiang et al. (2008) Differentiation-defective stem cells outcompete normal stem cells for niche occupancy in the Drosophila ovary. Cell Stem Cell 2:39-49

Showing the most recent 10 out of 22 publications