Redox Homeostasis Plays Important Roles in the Maintenance of the Drosophila Testis Germline Stem Cells

• Main Authors: Sharon Wui Sing Tan, Qian Ying Lee, Belinda Shu Ee Wong, Yu Cai, Gyeong Hun Baeg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-07-01
• Series: Stem Cell Reports
• Subjects: redox homeostasis; Drosophila; germline stem cell; differentiation; Keap1/Nrf2 signaling; EGFR signaling; antioxidant
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213671117302412

Oxidative stress influences stem cell behavior by promoting the differentiation, proliferation, or apoptosis of stem cells. Thus, characterizing the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on stem cell behavior provides insights into the significance of redox homeostasis in stem cell-associated diseases and efficient stem cell expansion for cellular therapies. We utilized the Drosophila testis as an in vivo model to examine the effects of ROS on germline stem cell (GSC) maintenance. High levels of ROS induced by alteration in Keap1/Nrf2 activity decreased GSC number by promoting precocious GSC differentiation. Notably, high ROS enhanced the transcription of the EGFR ligand spitz and the expression of phospho-Erk1/2, suggesting that high ROS-mediated GSC differentiation is through EGFR signaling. By contrast, testes with low ROS caused by Keap1 inhibition or antioxidant treatment showed an overgrowth of GSC-like cells. These findings suggest that redox homeostasis regulated by Keap1/Nrf2 signaling plays important roles in GSC maintenance.