TY - JOUR
T1 - Bucky Ball Organizes Germ Plasm Assembly in Zebrafish
AU - Bontems, Franck
AU - Stein, Amandine
AU - Marlow, Florence
AU - Lyautey, Jacqueline
AU - Gupta, Tripti
AU - Mullins, Mary C.
AU - Dosch, Roland
N1 - Funding Information:
Special thanks to A. Solaro for fish care. We thank J. Gruenberg, K. Inoue, H. Knaut, S. Maegawa, D. Meyer, C. Niehrs, and E. Raz for reagents; C. Bauer and J. Bosset (bioimaging platform) and P. Descombes and M. Docquier (genomics platform) of the National Center of Competence in Research Frontiers in Genetics, Switzerland for help with microscopy and real-time PCR, respectively; and B. Draper, M. Gomez, F. Gonzalez, J. Montoya, D. Raible, and C. Seum for technical advice. We also thank D. Duboule, B. Galliot, I. Rodriguez, K. Sampath, and J. Zakany for comments on the manuscript. The authors (F.B., A.S., J.L., and R.D.) are part of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology-Action Gametes and Embryos Maternal Interaction Network International (GEMINI). This work was supported by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the Roche research foundation (A.S.); the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, DRG 1826-04 (F.L.M.); the American Cancer Society, PF-05-041-01-DDC (T.G.); NIH grant HD050901 (M.C.M.); the Swiss National Foundation; the ClaraZ foundation; the Societé Academique de Genève; and the canton of Geneva (R.D.).
PY - 2009/3/10
Y1 - 2009/3/10
N2 - In many animals, gamete formation during embryogenesis is specified by maternal cytoplasmic determinants termed germ plasm [1, 2]. During oogenesis, germ plasm forms a distinct cellular structure such as pole plasm in Drosophila or the Balbiani body, an aggregate of organelles also found in mammals [3-10]. However, in vertebrates, the key regulators of germ plasm assembly are largely unknown. Here, we show that, at the beginning of zebrafish oogenesis, the germ plasm defect in bucky ball (buc) mutants precedes the loss of polarity, indicating that Buc primarily controls Balbiani body formation. Moreover, we molecularly identify the buc gene, which is exclusively expressed in the ovary with a novel, dynamic mRNA localization pattern first detectable within the Balbiani body. We find that a Buc-GFP fusion localizes to the Balbiani body during oogenesis and with the germ plasm during early embryogenesis, consistent with a role in germ plasm formation. Interestingly, overexpression of buc seems to generate ectopic germ cells in the zebrafish embryo. Because we discovered buc homologs in many vertebrate genomes, including mammals, these results identify buc as the first gene necessary and sufficient for germ plasm organization in vertebrates.
AB - In many animals, gamete formation during embryogenesis is specified by maternal cytoplasmic determinants termed germ plasm [1, 2]. During oogenesis, germ plasm forms a distinct cellular structure such as pole plasm in Drosophila or the Balbiani body, an aggregate of organelles also found in mammals [3-10]. However, in vertebrates, the key regulators of germ plasm assembly are largely unknown. Here, we show that, at the beginning of zebrafish oogenesis, the germ plasm defect in bucky ball (buc) mutants precedes the loss of polarity, indicating that Buc primarily controls Balbiani body formation. Moreover, we molecularly identify the buc gene, which is exclusively expressed in the ovary with a novel, dynamic mRNA localization pattern first detectable within the Balbiani body. We find that a Buc-GFP fusion localizes to the Balbiani body during oogenesis and with the germ plasm during early embryogenesis, consistent with a role in germ plasm formation. Interestingly, overexpression of buc seems to generate ectopic germ cells in the zebrafish embryo. Because we discovered buc homologs in many vertebrate genomes, including mammals, these results identify buc as the first gene necessary and sufficient for germ plasm organization in vertebrates.
KW - DEVBIO
KW - RNA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=61449088184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=61449088184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2009.01.038
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2009.01.038
M3 - Article
C2 - 19249209
AN - SCOPUS:61449088184
SN - 0960-9822
VL - 19
SP - 414
EP - 422
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
IS - 5
ER -