GATA-like protein-1 (GLP-1) is required for normal germ cell development during embryonic oogenesis.

Oogenesis and primordial follicle formation are tightly linked processes, requiring organized and precisely timed communication between somatic and germ cells. Deviations in ovarian cell cross talk, or aberrant gene expression within one of the cell populations, can lead to follicle loss or dysfunction, resulting in infertility. Expression of GATA-like protein-1 (GLP-1) in ovarian somatic cells is required for normal fertility in female mice, as GLP-1 deficiency leads to the absence of oocytes at birth.

The miRNA pathway intrinsically controls self-renewal of Drosophila germline stem cells.

Stem cells uniquely self-renew and maintain tissue homoeostasis by differentiating into different cell types to replace aged or damaged cells [1]. During oogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster, self-renewal of germline stem cells (GSCs) requires both intrinsic signaling mechanisms and extrinsic signals from neighboring niche cells [2]. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNA (miRNA)-mediated translational regulation may also control Drosophila GSC self-renewal [3, 4].

Direct regulation of egl-1 and of programmed cell death by the Hox protein MAB-5 and by CEH-20, a C. elegans homolog of Pbx1.

Hox genes are crucial determinants of cell fates and of body morphology of animals; mutations affecting these genes result in abnormal patterns of programmed cell death. How Hox genes regulate programmed cell death is an important and poorly understood aspect of normal development. In the nematode C.