Abstract
Drosophila spermatogenesis is composed of various developmental stages, including germline stem cell differentiation, spermatogonia growth and division, spermatid elongation, spermatid individualization, and sperm release. At the beginning of spermatogenesis, germline stem cell (GSC) divides asymmetrically to produce gonialblast. Several mechanisms have been found to maintain GSCs at the hub, the GSCs niche, including Cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. Gonialblast undergoes several rounds of division and morphology change to become 64 syncytial and elongated spermatids. Elongated spermatids are individualized through remodeling membranes by movement of actin cones. Drosophila myosin VI has been found to participate in individualization. Individualized spermatid are coiled and released into seminal vesicles. Actin caps bundle spermatid nuclei to prevent premature sperm release. Echinoid is a cell adhesion molecule localized at adherens junction to control cell adhesion. In this study, we found that fertility of ed1X5/edslH8 males is reduced. The reduced fertility may not due to GSCs maintenance but due to developmental failure at individualization and sperm release process. We also examined cyst cell’s control over spermatid development.