A Drosophila toolkit for defining gene function in spermatogenesis

Abstract

Expression profiling and genomic sequencing methods enable the accumulation of vast quantities of data that relate to the expression of genes during the maturation of male germ cells from primordial germ cells to spermatozoa and potential mutations that underlie male infertility. However, the determination of gene function in specific aspects of spermatogenesis or linking abnormal gene function with infertility remain rate limiting, as even in an era of CRISPR analysis of gene function in mammalian models, this still requires considerable resources and time. Comparative developmental biology studies have shown the remarkable conservation of spermatogenic developmental processes from insects to vertebrates and provide an avenue of rapid assessment of gene function to inform the potential roles of specific genes in rodent and human spermatogenesis. The vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been used as a model organism for developmental genetic studies for over one hundred years, and research with this organism produced seminal findings such as the association of genes with chromosomes, the chromosomal basis for sexual identity, the mutagenic properties of X-irradiation and the isolation of the first tumour suppressor mutations. Drosophila researchers have developed an impressive array of sophisticated genetic techniques for analysis of gene function and genetic interactions. This review focuses on how these techniques can be utilised to study spermatogenesis in an organism with a generation time of 9 days and the capacity to introduce multiple mutant alleles into an individual organism in a relatively short time frame.Reproduction (2017) 153 R121-R132

Combover interacts with the axonemal component Rsp3 and is required for sperm individualization

“…The shortest transcript, cmb-RB, encodes a short Cmb-PB protein isoform that is fully contained within the long isoform Cmb-PA, and both of these isoforms cause similar MHC phenotypes when overexpressed in the wing (see also Fagan et al, 2014). In order to test whether Cmb is required in the germline or the soma and to confirm that the sterility phenotype is indeed due to loss of cmb, we performed rescue experiments specifically re-expressing the Cmb-PA and Cmb-PB isoforms in soma or germline exclusively using traffic jam-GAL4 (tj>) and bag of marbles-GAL4 (bam>), respectively (Siddall and Hime, 2017;White-Cooper, 2012). Expression of the PA isoform in the male germline resulted in robust rescue of both the fertility and individualization phenotypes of cmb mutants (Fig.…”

Identification of genetic networks that act in the somatic cells of the testis to mediate the developmental program of spermatogenesis

“…The Drosophila melanogaster testis provides a powerful model to study the conserved process of spermatogenesis as it allows convenient imaging of the transitions between different stages of germline development [ 12 – 14 ]. The early stages of spermatogenesis occur at the closed, anterior end of the testis known as the ‘apical tip’.…”

The action of monoterpenoids with promising antiparkinsonian activity on fertility of Drosophila melanogaster

“…It was reported recently on the importace of fertility in drosophila studies [16]. The reduction of fertility in the case of diol diacetate is probably connected with differences in chemical structure of the chemicals.…”