BIOE 129 Problem Set 2

Please submit this problem set electronically in Microsoft Word format to the course website by 7:40pm
Eastern Time on ThursdayOctober18, 2012to the website Problem Set 2 Dropbox.
Please type your answers but feel free to include diagrams. Answers should be succinct but should fully
explain your reasoning. Please list references if sources outside of lecture are used.
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Undergraduate Graduate

1.) [20 points total] The Drosophila testes is a well characterized model for studying the adult
stem cell niche. In this system, the germline stem cells (GSCs) are oriented around a somatic cell
known as the Hub cell. Normally, all of the mitotic spindles of GSCs are oriented so that they are
perpendicular to the Hub (shown below).

A. [10 points] Given what you know about adult stem cell niches (especially the Drosophila
ovary), describe why the orientation of GSC spindles might be particularly important.

B. [10 points] It is known that Hub cells secrete a protein called Unpaired, which appears to
regulate proper spindle orientation in GSCs through the protein APC. What would you expect to
happen in an Unpaired null fly? How about an APC null fly?

2. [10 points] In class, we discussed Schofields postulates on the stem cell niche along with two wellcharacterized examples of adult stem cell niches. Using one of these two examples, please discuss the
experimental evidence for each of Schofields postulates. If insufficient data exists for one of the points
then indicate it and describe why.

3. [10 points] Using the blood system or muscle system as an example, describe how each of the
following principles were demonstrated for the hematopoietic stem cell or the satellite cell:
-Self-renewal
-Differentiation
-Prospective isolation
-Functional assay
-Clonal analysis