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1: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 May 11;96(10):5559-64.
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Characterization of differentially expressed genes in purified Drosophila follicle cells: toward a general strategy for cell type-specific developmental analysis.

Bryant Z, Subrahmanyan L, Tworoger M, LaTray L, Liu CR, Li MJ, van den Engh G, Ruohola-Baker H.

Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Axis formation in Drosophila depends on correct patterning of the follicular epithelium and on signaling between the germ line and soma during oogenesis. We describe a method for identifying genes expressed in the follicle cells with potential roles in axis formation. Follicle cells are purified from whole ovaries by enzymatic digestion, filtration, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Two strategies are used to obtain complementary cell groups. In the first strategy, spatially restricted subpopulations are marked for FACS selection using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter. In the second, cells are purified from animals mutant for the epidermal growth factor receptor ligand gurken (grk) and from their wild-type siblings. cDNA from these samples of spatially restricted or genetically mutant follicle cells is used in differential expression screens employing PCR-based differential display or hybridization to a cDNA microarray. Positives are confirmed by in situ hybridization to whole mounts. These methods are found to be capable of identifying both spatially restricted and grk-dependent transcripts. Results from our pilot screens include (i) the identification of a homologue of the immunophilin FKBP-12 with dorsal anterior expression in egg chambers, (ii) the discovery that the ecdysone-inducible nuclear hormone receptor gene E78 is regulated by grk during oogenesis and is required for proper dorsal appendage formation, and (iii) the identification of a Drosophila homologue of the human SET-binding factor gene SBF1 with elevated transcription in grk mutant egg chambers.

Publication Types:
PMID: 10318923 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC21899