Expression of the core promoter factors TATA box binding protein and TATA box binding protein-related factor 2 in Drosophila germ cells and their distinct functions in germline development.

In Drosophila, the expression of germline genes is initiated in primordial germ cells (PGCs) and is known to be associated with germline establishment. However, the transcriptional regulation of germline genes remains elusive. Previously, we found that the BTB/POZ-Zn-finger protein, Mamo, is necessary for the expression of the germline gene, vasa, in PGCs.

H3K36 Trimethylation-Mediated Epigenetic Regulation is Activated by Bam and Promotes Germ Cell Differentiation During Early Oogenesis in Drosophila.

Epigenetic silencing is critical for maintaining germline stem cells in Drosophila ovaries. However, it remains unclear how the differentiation factor, Bag-of-marbles (Bam), counteracts transcriptional silencing. We found that the trimethylation of lysine 36 on histone H3 (H3K36me3), a modification that is associated with gene activation, is enhanced in Bam-expressing cells.

Genetically encoded system to track histone modification in vivo.

Post-translational histone modifications play key roles in gene regulation, development, and differentiation, but their dynamics in living organisms remain almost completely unknown. To address this problem, we developed a genetically encoded system for tracking histone modifications by generating fluorescent modification-specific intracellular antibodies (mintbodies) that can be expressed in vivo. To demonstrate, an H3 lysine 9 acetylation specific mintbody (H3K9ac-mintbody) was engineered and stably expressed in human cells.

Binding of Drosophila maternal Mamo protein to chromatin and specific DNA sequences.

Alterations in chromatin structure dynamically occur during germline development in Drosophila and are essential for the production of functional gametes. We had previously reported that the maternal factor Mamo, which contains both a BTB/POZ domain and C₂H₂ zinc-finger domains and is enriched in primordial germ cells (PGCs), is required for the regulation of meiotic chromatin structure and the production of functional gametes. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Mamo regulates germline development remained unclear.

Innexin2 gap junctions in somatic support cells are required for cyst formation and for egg chamber formation in Drosophila.

Germ cells require intimate associations with surrounding somatic cells during gametogenesis. During oogenesis, gap junctions mediate communication between germ cells and somatic support cells. However, the molecular mechanisms by which gap junctions regulate the developmental processes during oogenesis are poorly understood.