Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8470109 | European Journal of Cell Biology | 2009 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
The Immortal Strand Hypothesis proposes that asymmetrically dividing stem cells cosegregate chromatids to retain ancestral DNA templates. Using both pulse-chase and label retention assays, we show that non-random partitioning of DNA occurs in germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila ovary as these divide asymmetrically to generate a new GSC and a differentiating cystoblast. This process is disrupted when GSCs are forced to differentiate through the overexpression of Bag of Marbles, a factor that impels the terminal differentiation of cystoblasts. When Decapentaplegic, a ligand which maintains the undifferentiated state of GSCs, is expressed ectopically the non-random partitioning of DNA is similarly disrupted. Our data suggest asymmetric chromatid segregation is coupled to mechanisms specifying cellular differentiation via asymmetric stem cell division.
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Authors
Phillip Karpowicz, Milena Pellikka, Evelyn Chea, Dorothea Godt, Ulrich Tepass, Derek van der Kooy,