Repression of G1/S Transition by Transient Inhibition of miR-10404 Expression in Drosophila Primordial Germ Cells

Cell-cycle quiescence is a common feature of early germline development in many animal species. In Drosophila germline progenitors (pole cells), both G2/M and G1/S transitions are blocked. G2/M transition is repressed by maternal Nanos through suppression of Cyclin B production. However, the molecular mechanism underlying blockage of G1/S transition remains elusive. We found that repression of miR-10404 expression is required to block G1/S transition in pole cells. Expression of miR-10404, a microRNA encoded within the internal transcribed spacer 1 of rDNA, is repressed in early pole cells by maternal polar granule component. This repression delays the degradation of maternal dacapo mRNA, which encodes an inhibitor of G1/S transition. Moreover, derepression of G1/S transition in pole cells causes defects in their maintenance and their migration into the gonads. Our observations reveal the mechanism inhibiting G1/S transition in pole cells and its requirement for proper germline development.