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Published on: October 30, 2019
Germ line specific expression of a protein phosphatase Y interacting protein (PPYR1) in Drosophila
Endre Kókai1, Milán Szuperák, Luke Alphey
1Department of Medical Chemistry, Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
Insights
PPYR1 protein has two forms in fruit flies: a maternal form in early development and a zygotic form in male testes. These isoforms have different sizes and expression patterns, suggesting distinct roles.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Genetics
- Protein Interactions
Background:
- PPYR1, encoded by CG15031, is identified as a protein phosphatase Y (PPY) interacting protein.
- PPYR1 exhibits distinct expression patterns during different life stages in Drosophila melanogaster.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct developmental roles and expression patterns of PPYR1 isoforms.
- To understand the relationship between maternal and zygotic PPYR1 and its interaction with PPY.
Main Methods:
- Yeast two-hybrid screening to identify protein interactions.
- Analysis of PPYR1 expression patterns using developmental and cellular localization studies.
- Biochemical characterization of maternal and zygotic PPYR1 isoforms.
Main Results:
- PPYR1 displays a biphasic expression: maternal protein in early development (47 kDa) and zygotic protein in adult testes (66 kDa).
- Maternal PPYR1 is found in egg chambers, nurse cells, oocytes, and early embryos, while zygotic PPYR1 is specific to spermatocytes in testes.
- Zygotic PPYR1 is co-expressed with PPY in spermatocytes, whereas maternal PPYR1 expression is independent of PPY.
Conclusions:
- PPYR1 exists as two distinct developmental isoforms with unique sizes and localization.
- The maternal PPYR1 isoform plays a role in early development, independent of PPY.
- The zygotic PPYR1 isoform is specifically expressed in male testes and co-expressed with PPY, suggesting a role in spermatogenesis.
Abstract:
PPYR1, the product of the CG15031 gene, was identified as a protein phosphatase Y (PPY) interacting protein in Drosophila melanogaster using a yeast two-hybrid screen. PPYR1 displays a biphasic expression pattern: the maternal protein is abundant in the developing egg chambers and in the early embryos, while the zygotic protein appears later in development and is localized specifically in the testes of the males. The maternal and zygotic gene products differ from each other in their size having apparent molecular masses of 47 and 66 kDa, respectively. The maternal PPYR1 is localized in the cytoplasm of the follicular and nurse cells and is deposited as a ribonucleoprotein complex in the oocyte. In the early embryos, the PPYR1 is distributed evenly, and it gradually diminishes during embryonic development. Zygotic PPYR1 is expressed exclusively in the testes, predominantly in the cytoplasm of the spermatocytes. PPY is localized in the nuclei of the same cells. Our results suggest that PPYR1 has two distinct developmental isoforms: a maternal protein the expression of which is independent of PPY and a zygotic protein which is co-expressed with PPY.
