Ecdysone signaling-induced dumpless1 expression controls nurse cell dumping in Drosophila oogenesis

Jingshan Li, Zishan Pan, Xiaoqi Peng, Yu Feng, Junfeng Wu, Feiying Liang, Qili Feng (), XiaoQiang Yu () and Huimin Deng ()
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Jingshan Li: South China Normal University
Zishan Pan: South China Normal University
Xiaoqi Peng: South China Normal University
Yu Feng: South China Normal University
Junfeng Wu: South China Normal University
Feiying Liang: South China Normal University
Qili Feng: South China Normal University
XiaoQiang Yu: South China Normal University
Huimin Deng: South China Normal University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Nurse cell (NC) dumping, a process essential for oocyte development, involves the rapid cytoplasmic transfer from germline-derived NCs into the oocyte. However, its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that ecdysone signaling in stretch follicle cells (SFCs) regulates NC dumping through dumpless1, a ZAD-C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor, in Drosophila. Ecdysone induced dumpless1 expression in SFCs, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of dumpless1 or its functional domain ZAD suppresses NC dumping. Depletion of dumpless1 upregulates integrin βPS expression in SFC plasma membrane, while reducing cortical enrichment of Rho1 signaling-dependent phosphorylated myosin light chain (p-MLC) and disrupting actin cables organization in NCs. SFC-specific overexpression of integrin βPS reduces p-MLC enrichment in the NC cortex, whereas its knockdown in SFCs of dumpless1-/- mutants partially rescues NC dumping defect. Our findings identify dumpless1 as a critical effector of ecdysone signaling, bridging somatic-germline communication through the integrin βPS-Rho1-p-MLC axis, revealing a multicellular regulatory mechanism in Drosophila oogenesis.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63973-3

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