Journal article
The role of the RING-finger protein Elfless in Drosophila spermatogenesis and apoptosis
Fly (Austin, Tex.), Vol.2(6), pp.269-279
2008
DOI: 10.4161/fly.7352
PMCID: PMC2668719
PMID: 19077536
Abstract
elfless
(CG15150, FBgn0032660) maps to polytene region 36DE 5′ (left) of
reduced ocelli/Pray for Elves (PFE)
on chromosome 2L and is predicted to encode a 187 amino acid RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase that is putatively involved in programmed cell death (PCD, e.g., apoptosis). Several experimental approaches were used to characterize CG15150/
elfless
and test whether defects in this gene underlie the male sterile phenotype associated with overlapping chromosomal deficiencies of region 36DE.
elfless
expression is greatly enhanced in the testes and the expression pattern of UAS-
elfless
-EGFP driven by
elfless
-Gal4 is restricted to the tail cyst cell nuclei of the testes. Despite this,
elfless
transgenes failed to rescue the male sterile phenotype in
Df/Df
flies. Furthermore, null alleles of
elfless
, generated either by imprecise excision of an upstream P-element or by FLP-FRT deletion between two flanking piggyBac elements, are fertile. In a gain-of-function setting in the eye, we found that
elfless
genetically interacts with key members of the apoptotic pathway including the initiator caspase Dronc and the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UbcD1. DIAP1, but not UbcD1, protein levels are increased in heads of flies expressing Elfless-EGFP in the eye, and in testes of flies expressing
elfless
-Gal4 driven Elfless-EGFP. Based on these findings, we speculate that Elfless may regulate tail cyst cell degradation to provide an advantageous, though not essential, function in the testis.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The role of the RING-finger protein Elfless in Drosophila spermatogenesis and apoptosis
- Creators
- Jason C Caldwell - Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa USAMei-ling A Joiner - Cardiology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa USAElena Sivan-Loukianova - Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa USADaniel F Eberl - Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Fly (Austin, Tex.), Vol.2(6), pp.269-279
- DOI
- 10.4161/fly.7352
- PMID
- 19077536
- PMCID
- PMC2668719
- ISSN
- 1933-6934
- eISSN
- 1933-6942
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biology; Anesthesia
- Record Identifier
- 9984070768602771
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