A mechanism for the elimination of the female gamete centrosome in Drosophila melanogaster

Pimenta-Marques, A.; Bento, I.; Lopes, C. A. M.; Duarte, P.; Jana, S. C.; Bettencourt-Dias, M.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.7/842

Use this identifier to reference this record.

Name:	Description:	Size:	Format:
Pimenta-Marques_Science2016_Main_PostPrint.pdf	main article	4.68 MB	Adobe PDF	Download
Pimenta-Marques_Science2016_SupplMat_PostPrint.pdf	supplementary materials	9.63 MB	Adobe PDF	Download

Send Feedback

Authors

Abstract(s)

An important feature of fertilization is the asymmetric inheritance of centrioles. In most species it is the sperm that contributes the initial centriole, which builds the first centrosome that is essential for early development. However, given that centrioles are thought to be exceptionally stable structures, the mechanism behind centriole disappearance in the female germ line remains elusive and paradoxical. We elucidated a program for centriole maintenance in fruit flies, led by Polo kinase and the pericentriolar matrix (PCM): The PCM is down-regulated in the female germ line during oogenesis, which results in centriole loss. Perturbing this program prevents centriole loss, leading to abnormal meiotic and mitotic divisions, and thus to female sterility. This mechanism challenges the view that centrioles are intrinsically stable structures and reveals general functions for Polo kinase and the PCM in centriole maintenance. We propose that regulation of this maintenance program is essential for successful sexual reproduction and defines centriole life span in different tissues in homeostasis and disease, thereby shaping the cytoskeleton.

Description

The deposited article is a post-print version and has been submitted to peer review.
This publication hasn't any creative commons license associated.
This deposit is composed by the main article plus the supplementary materials of the publication.

Keywords

Animals Centrioles Drosophila Proteins Female Fertilization Gene Deletion Microtubules Oocytes Ovum Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases Drosophila melanogaster Oogenesis