Eggs of all animals contain mRNAs and proteins that are supplied to or deposited in the egg as it develops during oogenesis. These maternal gene products regulate all aspects of oocyte development, and an embryo fully relies on these maternal gene products for all aspects of its early development, including fertilization, transitions between meiotic and mitotic cell cycles, and activation of its own genome. Given the diverse processes required to produce a developmentally competent egg and embryo, it is not surprising that maternal gene products are not only essential for normal embryonic development but also for fertility. This review provides an overview of fundamental aspects of oocyte and early embryonic development and the interference and genetic approaches that have provided access to maternally regulated aspects of vertebrate development. Some of the pathways and molecules highlighted in this review, in particular, Bmps, Wnts, small GTPases, cytoskeletal components, and cell cycle regulators, are well known and are essential regulators of multiple aspects of animal development, including oogenesis, early embryogenesis, organogenesis, and reproductive fitness of the adult animal. Specific examples of developmental processes under maternal control and the essential proteins will be explored in each chapter, and where known conserved aspects or divergent roles for these maternal regulators of early vertebrate development will be discussed throughout this review. Table of Contents: Introduction / Oogenesis: From Germline Stem Cells to Germline Cysts / Oocyte Polarity and the Embryonic Axes: The Balbiani Body, an Ancient Oocyte Asymmetry / Preparing Developmentally Competent Eggs / Egg Activation / Blocking Polyspermy / Cleavage/ Mitosis: Going Multicellular / Maternal-Zygotic Transition / Reprogramming: Epigenetic Modifications and Zygotic Genome Activation / Dorsal-Ventral Axis Formation before Zygotic Genome Activation in Zebrafish and Frogs / Maternal TGF-β and the Dorsal-Ventral Embryonic Axis / Maternal Control After Zygotic Genome Activation / Compensation by Stable Maternal Proteins / Maternal Contributions to Germline Establishment or Maintenance / Perspective / Acknowledgments / References

This volume provides current up-to-date protocols for preparing the ovary for various imaging techniques, genetic protocols for generating mutant clones, mosaic analysis and assessing cell death. Chapters address methods for performing genome wide gene expression analysis and bioinformatics for studies of RNA-protein interactions. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Drosophila Oogenesis: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This book will give an overview of insect ovaries, showing the diversities and the common traits in egg growth processes. The idea to write this book developed while looking at the flood of information which appeared in the early 1980s on early pattern formation in Drosophila embryos. At this time a significant breakthrough was made in studies of this little fly, combining molecular biological methods with classical and molecular genetics. The answers to questions about early pattern formation raised new questions about the architecture of ovaries and the growth of eggs within these ovaries. However, by concentrating only on Drosophila it is not possible to form an adequate picture of what is going on in insect ovaries, since the enormous diversity found among insects is not considered sufficiently. Almost forgotten, but the first to study the architecture of ovaries, was Alexander Brandt writing in 1878 in aber das Ei und seine Bildungsstaette (On the egg and its organ of development). More than 100 years later, a series of ten books or more would be required to survey all the serious informa tion we have today on insect oogenesis. Thus, this book is a personal selection and personal view on the theme, and the authors must be excused by all those scientists whose papers could not be included. The book briefly describes the ectodemes, i. e.

There is no multicellular animal whose genetics is so well understood as Drosophila melanogaster. An increasing number of biologists have, therefore, turned to the fruitfly in pursuit of such diverse areas as the molecular biology of eukaryotic cells, development and neurobiology. Indeed there are signs that Dro sophila may soon become the most central organism in biqlogy for genetic analysis of complex problems. The papers in this collection were presented at a conference on Development and Behavior of Drosophila held at the Tata Insti tute of Fundamental Research from 19th to 22nd December, 1979. The volume reflects the commonly shared belief of the participants that Drosophila has as much to contribute to biology in the future as it has in the past. We hope it will be of interest not merely to Dro sophilists but to all biologists. We thank Chetan Premani, Anil Gupta, K.S. Krishnan, Veronica Rodrigues, Hemant Chikermane and K. Vijay Raghavan for help with recording and transcription of the proceedings and Vrinda Nabar and K.V. Hareesh for editorial assistance. We thank Samuel Richman, Thomas Schmidt-Glenewinkel and T.R. Venkatesh for their valuable assistance in proofreading the manuscripts, and we also thank Patricia Rank for her excellent effort in the preparation of the final manuscripts. The conference was supported by a grant from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.

In this comprehensive and cutting-edge book, leading experts explore the parameters that define germline stem cells and the mechanisms that regulate the cell behavior in order to better isolate, characterize and maintain them. The volume begins by providing protocols for germline stem cell identification and regulation in model organisms, and concludes with detailed chapters covering current techniques involving in vitro culture and the applications of the cells.

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster offers the most powerful means of studying embryonic development in eukaryotes. New information from many different organ systems has accumulated rapidly in the past decade. This monograph, written by the most distinguished workers in the field, is the most authoritative and comprehensive synthesis of Drosophila developmental biology available and emphasizes the insights gained by molecular and genetic analysis. In two volumes, it is a lavishly illustrated, elegantly designed reference work illustrating principles of genetic regulation of embryogenesis that may apply to other eukaryotes.

Oogenesis - the process by which female germ cells develop into mature eggs, or ova - is a complex process involving many important elements of developmental and cellular biology: from cell-cell interactions, complex signalling cascades, specialized cell cycles and cytoskeleton organization. Oocytes from various species (including clam, starfish, xenopus and mouse) are excellent model systems to study the biochemistry of cell division with important implications for basic and clinical research. This book describes the entire process of oogenesis in chronological order with contributions from leading international researchers and chapters covering medical and ethical considerations in oogenic biology. Topics include sex determination and gonadal development, control of meiotic chromosome pairing and homologous recombination, control of meiotic divisions and the remodelling of the oocyte into a totipotent zygote as well as medically-assisted reproduction. This volume is an essential resource for all students, researchers and clinicians in developmental and reproductive biology. Key features: Reaches beyond the study of simply meiosis to cover all aspects of oogenesis Synthesizes recent advances in the field, drawing on studies from different model species Chapter sequence designed to follow the time line in vivo Written by an international panel of expert researchers

This exceptional laboratory manual describes thirty-seven procedures most likely to be used in the next decade for molecular, biochemical, and cellular studies on Drosophila. They were selected after extensive consultation with the research community and rigorously edited for clarity, uniformity, and conciseness.The methods included permit investigation of chromosomes, cell biology, molecular biology, genomes, biochemistry, and development. Each protocol includes the basic information needed by novices, with sufficient detail to be valuable to experienced investigators. Each method is carefully introduced and illustrated with figures, tables, illustrations, and examples of the data obtainable. The book's appendices include key aspects of Drosophila biology, essential solutions, buffers, and recipes.An evolution of Michael Ashburner's 1989 classic Drosophila: A Laboratory Manual, this book is an essential addition to the personal library of Drosophila investigators and an incomparable resource for other research groups with goals likely to require fly-based technical approaches.

Within the past two decades, extraordinary new functions for the nucleolus have begun to appear, giving the field a new vitality and generating renewed excitement and interest. These new discoveries include both newly-discovered functions and aspects of its conventional role. The Nucleolus is divided into three parts: nucleolar structure and organization, the role of the nucleolus in ribosome biogenesis, and novel functions of the nucleolus.

This volume provides a series of review articles that capture the advances in using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, model system to address a wide range of cancer-related topics. Articles in this book provide case studies that shed light on the intricate cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tumor formation and progression. Readers will discover the beauty of the fly model’s genetic simplicity and the vast arsenal of powerful genetic tools enabling its efficient and adaptable use. This model organism has provided a unique opportunity to address questions regarding cancer initiation and development that would be extremely challenging in other model systems. This book provides a useful resource for a researcher who wishes to learn about and apply the Drosophila model to tackle fundamental questions in cancer biology, and to find new ways to fight against this devastating disease.