Testis genes in flies and humans

They discover a family of genes crucial in the formation of the testicles of flies and humans.

The finding is the work of researchers from the Andalusian Center for Development Biology (CABD), a co-dependent center of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Spain, the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) and the Junta de Andalucía, in Spain all these entities . Swiss and Ukrainian scientists have also collaborated.

The authors of the study have discovered that the human DLC3 gene, as well as its homologue in the Drosophila melanogaster (vinegar fly), are involved in the formation of the testicles. The fruit fly is a model organism used mainly in biology, but since 60% of its genes are found in humans, it can also help identify the cause of some diseases. Flies are small and reproduce quickly, giving rise to several generations in a short time, something that greatly speeds up the work of finding out how the gene mutation affects different biological processes.

The CABD research group, , has shown that the DLC3 gene, known for its tumor suppressor function, and its homologue in the vinegar fly are necessary to retain sperm stem cells within the gonad.

Degeneration of the testes during human development reduces testosterone levels, causing chromosomally male (46 X,Y) individuals to develop female characteristics. “Several patients with this syndrome had been detected to have minor alterations in the DLC3 gene. This new study unequivocally associates these variations of DLC3 and its Drosophila melanogaster homologue with testis degeneration and shows, using the vinegar fly as a model system, what is the cause of degeneration at the cellular level”, explains Sol Sotillos, CABD scientist leading the work.

A fly. (Photo: Dr. Gary D. Alpert/CDC)

“Adding DLC3 to the list of genes affected in this type of syndrome helps in the diagnosis and in the development of future therapies,” says James Hombría, also a CABD researcher.

The study is titled “A conserved function of Human DLC3 and Drosophila Cv-c in testis development. And it has been published in the academic journal eLife. (Source: CSIC)