Mitochondrial redox sensor for drosophila female germline stem cells

Abstract

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS), a major source of ROS within cells, functions as an important signaling molecule and has the ability to damage cellular macromolecules including DNA and proteins. Monitoring mROS levels is therefore essential to understand cell–cell communication and programmed cell death in all types of cell including stem cells. Here, we describe generation and characterization of a redox sensor for mROS that is specifically expressed in the germline stem cells (GSCs) in Drosophila. This redox sensor can be used to monitor the production of mROS and mitophagy in the GSCs during oogenesis.