School of Science Division of Life Science 32 Genetic Studies on Stem Cell Regulation Supervisor: XIE, Ting / LIFS Co-supervisor: TU, Renjun / LIFS Student: HO, Lok Yin / BCB Course: UROP1100, Fall UROP2100, Spring Stem cells possess the remarkable ability of self-renewal and differentiation. Combined with gene editing, this potential can provide insights for regenerative medicine, making it a promising application for harnessing this potential (Kanherkar et al., 2014). Given the existing uncertainties surrounding the safe and effective usage of stem cells, additional research into the biology of stem cells is necessary. In this regard, the study of germline stem cell (GSC) development in Drosophila provides valuable insights into the underlying regulatory mechanisms governing stem cell function. Recent studies indicate that several signaling pathways and interactions with the niche of the germline are involved in controlling the progeny differentiation (Tu et al., 2020). In this semester, about 25 UAS-RNAi lines were crossed with Nos-gal4 and C587-gal4;tubp-Gal80ts to knockdown genes which regulate self-renewal and differentiation in Drosophila GSCs. As of May 22nd , knocking down 4 genes has shown abnormal phenotypes in germline expression and differentiation niche. Conducting further investigation on phosphate and kinase genes is required for understanding their underlying mechanisms. Genetic Studies on Stem Cell Regulation Supervisor: XIE, Ting / LIFS Co-supervisor: TU, Renjun / LIFS Student: HO, Wing Chi / BIBU Course: UROP2100, Fall UROP3100, Spring Drosophila ovary is an extensively used model to study stem cells, one of the frontiers in biological research. Studies of germline stem cells (GSCs), a type of adult stem cells found in the Drosophila ovary, have continuously provided new insights into the general understanding of stem cells. Still, there are many unknowns regarding the regulation of GSC development. Therefore, in this study, a screen of 25 Drosophila kinase genes is done to find out potential candidates involved in GSC development. These screened genes are knocked down in two different cell types respectively, and seven candidates were identified. With these results, further studies can be done on these seven genes to confirm and investigate their specific roles, enhancing our understanding of GSC development and stem cells.
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