Investigating the role of TER94 in Drosophila melanogaster germ cells

Abstract

Mutations in Valosin-Containing Protein (VCP) can lead to onset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a fatal neurodegenerative disease; however, the intracellular functions of VCP in cells remain unclear. To study the intracellular role of VCP in greater detail, this study utilizes the model system Drosophila melanogaster to test the function of VCP in maintenance of the endoplasmic reticulum. Specifically, we will evaluate the role of the Drosophila protein TER94 (an ortholog of VCP) in ovarian germ cells, which requires a prominent endoplasmic reticulum-like organelle called the fusome, a germline-specific organelle in Drosophila, for proper cell division. Here, we show that TER94 does not distinctly localize to the fusome, ER, Golgi, ring canals, or endosomes. Knockdown of TER94 leads to an accumulation of lens-shaped cysts, but it is not essential for fusome/endoplasmic reticulum development, or Golgi biogenesis. Utilizing the FLP-out system resulted in TER94 clones that contained agametic germaria, encapsulation defects, loss of older egg chambers, and condensed nuclei. Based on these results, TER94 may be implicated in cell viability and development in germ cells. By elucidating the function of TER94 in Drosophila germ cells, we have developed the Drosophila germline as an exciting new model for the study of VCP in cell proliferation.