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Development 129, 2529-2539 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

A germline-specific gap junction protein required for survival of differentiating early germ cells

Salli I. Tazuke1,2,*, Cordula Schulz1, Lilach Gilboa3, Mignon Fogarty1, Anthony P. Mahowald4, Antoine Guichet5, Anne Ephrussi6, Cricket G. Wood1, Ruth Lehmann3 and Margaret T. Fuller1,7

1 Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA
2 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA
3 Developmental Genetics Program, Skirball Institute, New York University Medical Center, 540 First Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USA
4 Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 East 58th St, Chicago, IL 60637-1432, USA
5 Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement, Institut Jacques Monod, 2, place Jussieu, 75251 Paris, Cedex 05, France
6 EMBL, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
7 Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA

*Author for correspondence (e-mail: tazuke{at}stanford.edu)

Accepted 1 March 2002

Germ cells require intimate associations and signals from the surrounding somatic cells throughout gametogenesis. The zero population growth (zpg) locus of Drosophila encodes a germline-specific gap junction protein, Innexin 4, that is required for survival of differentiating early germ cells during gametogenesis in both sexes. Animals with a null mutation in zpg are viable but sterile and have tiny gonads. Adult zpg-null gonads contain small numbers of early germ cells, resembling stem cells or early spermatogonia or oogonia, but lack later stages of germ cell differentiation. In the male, Zpg protein localizes to the surface of spermatogonia, primarily on the sides adjacent to the somatic cyst cells. In the female, Zpg protein localizes to germ cell surfaces, both those adjacent to surrounding somatic cells and those adjacent to other germ cells. We propose that Zpg-containing gap junctional hemichannels in the germ cell plasma membrane may connect with hemichannels made of other innexin isoforms on adjacent somatic cells. Gap junctional intercellular communication via these channels may mediate passage of crucial small molecules or signals between germline and somatic support cells required for survival and differentiation of early germ cells in both sexes.

Key words: Drosophila, Gap junction, Innexin, Oogenesis, Spermatogenesis






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2002