Somatic Cell Encystment Promotes Abscission in Germline Stem Cells following a Regulated Block in Cytokinesis

• GSCs delay cytokinesis in two distinct phases
• A ROK-LimK-Cofilin pathway regulates phase one of delay
• Aurora B activity controls the time of transition between phases one and two
• Somatic cell encystment promotes GSC abscission

SummaryIn many tissues, the stem cell niche must coordinate behavior across multiple stem cell lineages. How this is achieved is largely unknown. We have identified delayed completion of cytokinesis in germline stem cells (GSCs) as a mechanism that regulates the production of stem cell daughters in the Drosophila testis. Through live imaging, we show that a secondary F-actin ring is formed through regulation of Cofilin activity to block cytokinesis progress after contractile ring disassembly. The duration of this block is controlled by Aurora B kinase. Additionally, we have identified a requirement for somatic cell encystment of the germline in promoting GSC abscission. We suggest that this non-autonomous role promotes coordination between stem cell lineages. These findings reveal the mechanisms by which cytokinesis is inhibited and reinitiated in GSCs and why such complex regulation exists within the stem cell niche.

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