A Pumilio Activity Sensor Reveals Bag-of-Marbles Inhibition of Pum Activity in the Ovary.

Pumilio (Pum) is an RNA-binding protein and translational repressor important to diverse biological processes. In the ovary, Pum is expressed in female germline stem cells (GSCs), wherein it acts as an intrinsic stem cell maintenance factor via repressing target mRNAs that are as yet mostly unknown. Pum recognizes the Pum binding sequence (PBS) in the mRNA 3'UTR through its C-terminus Puf domain.

Drosophila pain sensitization and modulation unveiled by a novel pain model and analgesic drugs.

In mammals, pain is regulated by the combination of an ascending stimulating and descending inhibitory pain pathway. It remains an intriguing question whether such pain pathways are of ancient origin and conserved in invertebrates. Here we report a new Drosophila pain model and use it to elucidate the pain pathways present in flies.

Drosophila ppk19 encodes a proton-gated and mechanosensitive ion channel.

In Drosophila larvae, nociceptive mdIV sensory neurons detect diverse noxious stimuli and prompt a nociceptive rolling response. Intriguingly, the same neurons also regulate stereotyped larval movement. The channels responsible for transducing these stimuli into electric signals are not yet fully identified.

Dual Oxidase, a Hydrogen-Peroxide-Producing Enzyme, Regulates Neuronal Oxidative Damage and Animal Lifespan in .

Reducing the oxidative stress in neurons extends lifespan in , highlighting the crucial role of neuronal oxidative damage in lifespan determination. However, the source of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that provoke oxidative stress in neurons is not clearly defined. Here, we identify (), a calcium-activated ROS-producing enzyme, as a lifespan determinant.

Lin28 and Imp are Required for Stability of Bowl Transcripts in Hub Cells of the Testis.

Hub cells comprise a niche for germline stem cells and cyst stem cells in the testis. Hub cells arise from common somatic gonadal precursors in embryos, but the mechanism of their specification is still poorly understood. Here we find that RNA binding proteins Lin28 and Imp mediate transcript stability of Bowl, a known hub specification factor; Bowl transcripts were reduced in the testis of Lin28 and Imp mutants, and also when RNA-mediated interference against Lin28 or Imp was expressed in hub cells.

Mechanisms ensuring robust repression of the Drosophila female germline stem cell maintenance factor Nanos via posttranscriptional regulation.

During oogenesis in the Drosophila ovary, numerous translational regulators promote the self-renewal or differentiation of stem cells. An intriguing question is how these regulators combine to execute translational regulation. Here, we study mechanisms for the posttranscriptional regulation of nos, a critical stem cell self-renewal factor in the Drosophila ovary; specifically, regulators that promote differentiation of the stem cell daughter.

The target specificity of the RNA binding protein Pumilio is determined by distinct co-factors.

Puf family proteins are translational regulators essential to a wide range of biological processes, including cell fate specification, stem cell self-renewal, and neural function. Yet, despite being associated with hundreds of RNAs, the underlying mechanisms of Puf target specification remain to be fully elucidated. In , Pumilio - a sole Puf family protein - is known to collaborate with cofactors Nanos (Nos) and Brain Tumor (Brat); however, their roles in target specification are not clearly defined.

Lin28 is a critical factor in the function and aging of testis stem cell niche.

Age-related decline in stem cell function is observed in many tissues from invertebrates to humans. While cell intrinsic alterations impair stem cells, aging of the stem cell niche also significantly contributes to the loss of tissue homeostasis associated with reduced regenerative capacity. Hub cells, which constitute the stem cell niche in the testis, exhibit age-associated decline in number and activities, yet underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

Impairment of proprioceptive movement and mechanical nociception in Drosophila melanogaster larvae lacking Ppk30, a Drosophila member of the Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel family.

The mechanosensory neurons of Drosophila larvae are demonstrably activated by diverse mechanical stimuli, but the mechanisms underlying this function are not completely understood. Here we report a genetic, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological analysis of the Ppk30 ion channel, a member of the Drosophila pickpocket (ppk) family, counterpart of the mammalian Degenerin/Epithelial Na Channel family. Ppk30 mutant larvae displayed deficits in proprioceptive movement and mechanical nociception, which are detected by class IV sensory (mdIV) neurons.

Duox mediates ultraviolet injury-induced nociceptive sensitization in Drosophila larvae.

Background: Nociceptive sensitization is an increase in pain perception in response to stimulus. Following brief irradiation of Drosophila larvae with UV, nociceptive sensitization occurs in class IV multiple dendritic (mdIV) neurons, which are polymodal sensory nociceptors. Diverse signaling pathways have been identified that mediate nociceptive sensitization in mdIV neurons, including TNF, Hedgehog, BMP, and Tachykinin, yet the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood.

Protein Interaction Mapping of Translational Regulators Affecting Expression of the Critical Stem Cell Factor Nos.

The germline stem cells of the ovary continuously produce eggs throughout the life- span. Intricate regulation of stemness and differentiation is critical to this continuous production. The translational regulator Nos is an intrinsic factor that is required for maintenance of stemness in germline stem cells.

The anoctamin family channel subdued mediates thermal nociception in Drosophila.

Calcium-permeable and thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels mediate the nociceptive transduction of noxious temperature in Drosophila nociceptors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Here we find that Subdued, a calcium-activated chloride channel of the Drosophila anoctamin family, functions in conjunction with the thermo-TRPs in thermal nociception.