Journal Article

ETS transcription factor pointed controls germline survival in Drosophila

Marín-Menguiano, Miriam, Garrido-Maraver, Juan, González-Reyes, Acaimo, López-Onieva, Lourdes, Rosales-Nieves, Alicia E.

2025

Overview

Proper gonad development is a pre-requisite for gametogenesis and reproduction. During female gonad formation in Drosophila , the EGF receptor (EGFR) signalling pathway ensures the correct number of primordial germ cells (PGCs) populate the larval gonad. We study the gene pointed (pnt) , which acts downstream of the EGFR receptor and belongs to the ETS transcription factor family, with a previously unknown function in gonadogenesis. We report that pnt is expressed in female larval gonads and later in the adult ovarian germline niche and that it is required to sustain proper gametogenesis. Loss of pnt function in female larval gonads, similar to the EGFR, induced PGC overproliferation. Conversely, we isolated a novel mutant allele gene, termed pnt aga , which resulted in agametic gonads and ovaries. While pnt aga embryos developed gonads containing a normal complement of PGCs, these are subsequently lost by apoptosis during late larval and pupal stages. Molecular characterization of pnt aga revealed reduced expression levels of the different pnt isoforms, unveiling a complex autoregulatory network involving the three Pnt proteins. We propose that germline survival in Drosophila gonads requires a precise tuning of EGFR signalling to ensure the appropriate transcriptional activation of its target pnt .

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,PLOS,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Animals / Apoptosis / Apoptosis - genetics / Biology and Life Sciences / DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics / DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism / Drosophila / Drosophila - genetics / Drosophila melanogaster - genetics / Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development / Drosophila Proteins - genetics / Drosophila Proteins - metabolism / Eggs / Embryos / Epidermal growth factor receptors / ErbB Receptors - genetics / ErbB Receptors - metabolism / ETS protein / Female / Females / Funding / Gametogenesis / Gametogenesis - genetics / Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Genes / Germ cells / Germ Cells - cytology / Germ Cells - growth & development / Germ Cells - metabolism / Gonads / Gonads - growth & development / Gonads - metabolism / Insects / Isoforms / Kinases / Larva - genetics / Larva - growth & development / Male / Medicine and Health Sciences / Morphogenesis / Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics / Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism / Ovaries / Ovary - growth & development / Ovary - metabolism / Phosphorylation / Proteins / Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide - genetics / Receptors, Invertebrate Peptide - metabolism / Research and Analysis Methods / Signal transduction / Signal Transduction - genetics / Stem cells / Transcription activation / Transcription factors / Transcription Factors - genetics / Transcription Factors - metabolism