Drosophila Bazooka Gene in Asymmetrical Division and Stem Cell Differentiation
Session Number
B14
Advisor(s)
Jun Cheng, University of Illinois at Chicago
Location
A-117
Start Date
28-4-2016 9:15 AM
End Date
28-4-2016 9:40 AM
Abstract
Stem cell asymmetric division is necessary for cyst stem cells (CySC) to produce self-renewed and differentiated cells at a 1:1 ratio around the stem cell niche, also known as hub cells. It is extremely important that this ratio is maintained because tumorigenesis can occur if too many self-renewed cells are produced while germ cell depletion and infertility can occur in the presence of too many differentiated cells. Recent studies show that CySC require mitotic spindle reorientation to maintain asymmetrical division. Drosophila testis were dissected and imaged after the green fluorescence protein (GFP) was engineered inside CySCs. The mitotic spindles were examined and analyzed using time lapse imaging techniques. This study indicates that the Bazooka gene is related to CySC spindle reorientation by determining the polarity of stem cells during mitosis, allowing self-renewed cells to attach to the hub at the tip of the testis while differentiated cells travel toward the center of the testis, and this suggests that the Bazooka gene interacts with Par 3, Par 6 and aPKC complexes in CySC cells to affect cellular polarity. This research can further be used to understand how to maintain asymmetrical division in human cancer cells, which can eventually suppress tumor growth.
Drosophila Bazooka Gene in Asymmetrical Division and Stem Cell Differentiation
A-117
Stem cell asymmetric division is necessary for cyst stem cells (CySC) to produce self-renewed and differentiated cells at a 1:1 ratio around the stem cell niche, also known as hub cells. It is extremely important that this ratio is maintained because tumorigenesis can occur if too many self-renewed cells are produced while germ cell depletion and infertility can occur in the presence of too many differentiated cells. Recent studies show that CySC require mitotic spindle reorientation to maintain asymmetrical division. Drosophila testis were dissected and imaged after the green fluorescence protein (GFP) was engineered inside CySCs. The mitotic spindles were examined and analyzed using time lapse imaging techniques. This study indicates that the Bazooka gene is related to CySC spindle reorientation by determining the polarity of stem cells during mitosis, allowing self-renewed cells to attach to the hub at the tip of the testis while differentiated cells travel toward the center of the testis, and this suggests that the Bazooka gene interacts with Par 3, Par 6 and aPKC complexes in CySC cells to affect cellular polarity. This research can further be used to understand how to maintain asymmetrical division in human cancer cells, which can eventually suppress tumor growth.