Ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones may regulate gene expression during vitellogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Brandon M. Zeigler *, Danielle M. Scheswohl and David S. Richard, Department of Biology, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania 17870

Recent advances in microarray analysis make possible a range of investigations into the roles of juvenile hormones (JHs) and ecdysteroids in the regulation of gene expression by reproductive female Drosophila melanogaster. Published data suggest that JHs stimulate early yolk protein (YP) synthesis and trafficking by ovarian follicle cells and ecdysteroids stimulate late YP synthesis by fat body and uptake by the oocyte yet almost nothing is known of the patterns of gene expression elicited by these two hormones in this process. Females homozygous for the JH-deficient mutation apterous56f, were topically treated with 1 ug JH III 6 h after eclosion. Ovaries were harvested at 18 h post-eclosion for mRNA extraction. Similar collections of mRNA were achieved with diapausing females injected with 11 pmol 20-hydroxyecdysone. Microarray analysis of these treated and suitable untreated controls will reveal patterns of ovarian gene expression associated with the action of these hormones. (Supported in part by NIH GM/OD54905, to DSR).