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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Author Spotlight: Understanding DNA Damage Response in Mammalian Oocytes and Preimplantation Embryos
Published on: June 23, 2023
The GATOR complex regulates an essential response to meiotic double-stranded breaks in Drosophila
Youheng Wei1,2, Lucia Bettedi1, Chun-Yuan Ting1
1Cell Biology and Neurobiology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.
Abstract:
The TORC1 regulator GATOR1/SEACIT controls meiotic entry and early meiotic events in yeast. However, how metabolic pathways influence meiotic progression in metazoans remains poorly understood. Here we examine the role of the TORC1 regulators GATOR1 and GATOR2 in the response to meiotic double-stranded breaks (DSB) during Drosophila oogenesis. We find that in mutants of the GATOR2 component mio, meiotic DSBs trigger the constitutive downregulation of TORC1 activity and a permanent arrest in oocyte growth. Conversely, in GATOR1 mutants, high TORC1 activity results in the delayed repair of meiotic DSBs and the hyperactivation of p53. Unexpectedly, we found that GATOR1 inhibits retrotransposon expression in the presence of meiotic DSBs in a pathway that functions in parallel to p53. Thus, our studies have revealed a link between oocyte metabolism, the repair of meiotic DSBs and retrotransposon expression.
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