《生命科学》 2010, 22(2): 192-196

小分子RNA决定果蝇生殖干细胞命运的分子机制研究

文圣梅^*，陈大华^*

(中国科学院动物研究所计划生育生殖生物学国家重点实验室，北京100101)

摘　要：

摘　要：生殖干细胞是具有自我更新能力的一群生殖细胞，充当配子生成的源泉。果蝇生殖干细胞的特征在于通过不对称分裂产生两个子代细胞，一个通过自我更新维持干细胞特性，另一个则进行分化。生殖干细胞的命运受其周围的微环境——“干细胞niche”控制，而“niche”的功能又通过干细胞的外源和内源信号间的相互作用来完成。小分子RNA通过复杂的RNAi途径调控基因的表达。大量证据表明生殖干细胞的维持和分化需要小分子RNA参与，小分子RNA生成的紊乱会导致干细胞的“丢失”或“未分化”。该文综述了小分子RNA对果蝇生殖干细胞命运调控的研究进展，并讨论新发现的小分子RNA在生殖干细胞命运决定中的相关功能。
关键词：生殖干细胞；小分子RNA；果蝇；不对称分裂

The fate determination of Drosophila germline stem cells regulated by small RNAs

WEN Sheng-mei^*， CHEN Da-hua*

(State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology， Institute of Zoology， Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100101， China)

Abstract:

Abstract: The Germline stem cell (GSC) is the special type of adult stem cells that has the unique capacity to self-renew as well as function as the source of gametogenesis that can pass genetic information to the next generation. In Drosophila， a GSC undergoes self-renewal and asymmetric division to produce two daughter cells with distinct fate: one self-renewal cell and the other differentiated cell. The asymmetric division of GSCs is tightly controlled by the stromal cells (also called microenviroment or niche)， which regulate the fate of GSCs through the integration of both extrinsic and intrinsic signaling at multiple levels. Increasingly complex networks of small RNAs act through RNA interference pathway to regulate gene expression. Recent studies suggest that both self-renewal and differentiation of GSCs require intricate spatiotemporal expression of a wide repertoire of small regulatory RNAs. Misregulation of these small RNAs gives rise to either 搇ose?or 搊ver-proliferation?of GSCs. Here， we will review recent progresses made toward understanding roles of small regulatory RNAs in the fate determination of GSCs and discuss the potential involvement of newly discovered classes of small RNAs in the fate determination of GSCs. 
Key words: germline stem cell; small RNAs; Drosophila; asymmetric division