Samir Gupta

Adult stem cells and their transit-amplifying (TA) progeny dynamically alter their proliferation rates to maintain tissue homeostasis. To test how the division rates of stem cell and TA cells affect tissue growth and differentiation, we developed a computation strategy which estimates the average cell cycle lengths/lifespans of germline stem cells (GSCs) and their TA progeny from cellular demography. Analysis of the wild-type data from Drosophila testis using this method indicated anomalous changes in lifespans during the germline transit-amplification with a nearly 1.3-fold increase after the first division and about a 2-fold decrease in the subsequent stage. Genetic perturbations altering the cell cycle rates of GSC and its immediate daughter, the gonialblast (GB), proportionately changed the rates of subsequent TA divisions. Notably, a nearly 2-fold increase or decrease in the total TA duration did not alter the induction of meiosis after four mitotic cycles. Altogether, these results suggest that the rates of GSC and GB divisions can adjust the rates of subsequent divisions and the onset of differentiation. Significance Statement: Dynamic regulation of the proliferation rate of stem cells and their transit-amplifying daughters maintains tissue homeostasis in different conditions such as tissue regeneration, aging, and hormonal imbalance. Previous studies suggested that a molecular clock in the stem cell progeny determines the timing of differentiation. This work shows that alterations of the rates of stem cell divisions, as well as that of its progeny, could override the differentiation clock in the Drosophila testis, and highlights a possible mechanism of fine-tuning the transit-amplification program under different conditions such as tissue damage, aging, and hormonal inputs. Also, the method developed for this study could be adapted to estimate lineage expansion plasticity from demographic changes in other systems. Highlights: Determination of cellular lifespan during transit-amplification from demography Lifespans of Drosophila male germline cells changes anomalously during the TA Lifespan changes of germline stem cells readjust that of the progeny cells Anomalous lifespan expansion midway through TA precedes the Bam onset

Significance: Neuronal mitochondria are crucial organelles that regulate bioenergetics and also modulate survival and function under environmental challenges. Here, we show that the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role in the making of new mitochondria (mitochondrial biogenesis) in cortical neurons, through the 5-HT_2Areceptor and via master regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis, SIRT1 and PGC-1α. Mitochondrial function is also enhanced by 5-HT, increasing cellular respiration and ATP, the energy currency of the cell. We found 5-HT reduces cellular reactive oxygen species and exerts potent neuroprotective action in neurons challenged with stress, an effect that requires SIRT1. These findings highlight a role for the mitochondrial effects of 5-HT in the facilitation of stress adaptation and identify drug targets to ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons.

Tight junctions prevent paracellular flow and maintain cell polarity in an epithelium. These junctions are also required for maintaining the blood-testis barrier, which is essential for sperm differentiation. Septate junctions in insects are orthologous to the tight junctions. In Drosophila testis, major septate junction components co-localize at the interface of germline and somatic cells initially, and then condense between the two somatic cells in a cyst after germline meiosis. Their localization is extensively remodeled in subsequent stages. We find that characteristic septate junctions are formed between the somatic cyst cells at the elongated spermatid stage. Consistent with previous reports, knockdown of essential junctional components – Discs-large-1 and Neurexin-IV – during the early stages disrupted sperm differentiation beyond the spermatocyte stage. Knockdown of these proteins during the final stages of spermatid maturation caused premature release of spermatids inside the testes, resulting in partial loss of male fertility. These results indicate the importance of maintaining the integrity of the somatic enclosure during spermatid coiling and release in Drosophila testis. It also highlights the functional similarity with the tight junction proteins during mammalian spermatogenesis. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Transit amplification (TA) of progenitor cells maintains tissue homeostasis by balancing proliferation and differentiation. In Drosophila testis, the germline proliferation is tightly regulated by factors present in both the germline and the neighbouring somatic cyst cells (SCCs). Although the exact mechanism is unclear, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation in SCCs has been reported to control spermatogonial divisions within a cyst, through downstream activations of Rac1-dependent pathways. Here, we report that somatic activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (Rolled/ERK) downstream of EGFR is required to synchronize the mitotic divisions and regulate the transition to meiosis. The process operates independently of the Bag-of-marble activity in the germline. Also, the integrity of the somatic cyst enclosure is inessential for this purpose. Together, these results suggest that synchronization of germ-cell divisions through somatic activation of distinct ERK-downstream targets independently regulates TA and subsequent differentiation of neighbouring germline cells.

Spermatogenesis, involving multiple transit amplification divisions and meiosis, occurs within an enclosure formed by two somatic cells. As the cohort of germline cells divide and grow, the surface areas of the somatic cells expand maintaining a tight encapsulation throughout the developmental period. Correlation between the somatic cell growth and germline development is unclear. Here, we report standardization of a quantitative assay developed for estimating the somatic roles of target molecules on germline division and differentiation in Drosophila testis. Using the assay, we studied the somatic roles of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). It revealed that the expression of PI3K^DN is likely to facilitate the early germline development at all stages, and an increase in the somatic PI3K activity during the early stages delays the transition to spermatocyte stage. Together, these results suggest that somatic cell growth plays an important role in regulating the rate of germline development.