Characterizing The Effects Of Wee-1.3 Knockdown On Spermatogenesis In Caenorhabditis Elegans
Date
2022-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division that results in the production of
haploid gametes. This can take the form of oogenesis, which produces oocytes, or
spermatogenesis, which produces sperm. In order for meiosis to occur, a protein complex
known as maturation promoting factor (MPF) must be activated. In the model organism
Caenorhabditis elegans, the inhibitory kinase WEE-1.3 regulates meiotic entry by
preventing MPF from being activated until the appropriate stage of the cell cycle is
reached. Previous work has shown that abnormal WEE-1.3 activity can cause various
meiotic defects. Knockdown of wee-1.3 via RNA interference (RNAi) in hermaphrodites
resulted in sterility caused by precocious oocyte maturation. The goal of this project is to
characterize the effects of wee-1.3 knockdown on spermatogenesis in C. elegans.
Previous to this study, little was known about the role of WEE-1.3 in spermatogenesis
except that gain-of-function mutations in the wee-1.3 gene cause primary spermatocyte
arrest during spermatogenesis. I found that knockdown of wee-1.3 via RNAi was found
to negatively impact male fertility and cause severe germline defects. Upon exposure to
wee-1.3 RNAi, some male C. elegans completely fail to develop a germline. To further
examine the role of wee-1.3 during spermatogenesis, I plan to use auxin-inducible
degradation. Unlike RNAi, auxin-inducible degradation can be used to deplete the target
protein in a specific tissue and with relative rapidity. I have generated a C. elegans strain
that will allow us to deplete WEE-1.3 in the germline.
Description
Keywords
C. elegans, Meiosis, Spermatogenesis