Male and Female Stem Cells and Sex Reversal in Hydra Polyps

Single interstitial stem cells of male polyps of Hydra magnipapillata give rise to clones that differentiate either male or female gametes. To test the sexual stability of these clones, stem cells were recloned. The results indicate that stem cells from female clones are stable in their sexual diffe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1986-12, Vol.83 (24), p.9478-9482
Main Authors: Thomas C. G. Bosch, David, Charles N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Sciences: Cell Biology
Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis
Cell physiology
Female animals
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gametes
Germ cells
Hydra magnipapillata
Interstitial cells
Male animals
Molecular and cellular biology
Phenotypes
Sex determination
Sex reversal surgery
Sexual differentiation
Stem cells
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Summary:Single interstitial stem cells of male polyps of Hydra magnipapillata give rise to clones that differentiate either male or female gametes. To test the sexual stability of these clones, stem cells were recloned. The results indicate that stem cells from female clones are stable in their sexual differentiation capacity; male stem cells, by comparison, switch sexual phenotype at the rate of 10-2 per cell per generation. As a result, female polyps contain only female stem cells; male polyps contain a mixture of male and female stem cells. A model is presented in which the sexual phenotype of Hydra polyps is controlled by (i) the switching rate of male and female stem cells and (ii) the repression of female differentiation by male stem cells.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.83.24.9478