Investigating the role of Hrb27c in the regulation of female germline stem cell activity

The use of stem cells as a tool for regenerative therapies holds enormous promise in aiding the return to normal function in damaged tissues and organs. Stem cell maintenance and proliferation are highly regulated processes that are exquisitely sensitive to changes in the stem cell environment; therefore, widespread use of stem cells as tools for therapy requires a through, understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control their function in vivo. Germline stem cells (GSCs) in the Drosophila melanogaster ovary are well characterized and sensitive to changes in organismal physiology, making them an ideal model to study the mechanisms of stem cell maintenance in vivo. Previous studies demonstrated that the steroid hormone ecdysone is necessary for GSC proliferation and maintenance of the GSC fate, and is crucial for differentiation of GSC progeny. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein at 27c (Hrb27c) has been suggested as a possible downstream target of the ecdysone signaling pathway; however its role in GSC function is unknown. To gain further insight into the function of Hrb27c in Drosophila oogenesis, we are investigating whether and how Hrb27c regulates GSC proliferation and maintenance.

Scholars @ ECU