# Regulation of oogenesis by nuclear receptor signaling

> **NIH NIH R00** · TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $244,635

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Adult stem cells (SCs) are required to maintain tissue homeostasis and for repair in response to injury. Many
external stimuli such as age, infection, and diet can influence SC behavior and function. Circulating factors
including steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and metals act through nuclear receptors (NRs) to modulate the
physiology of an organism in response to the environment. NRs are widely expressed transcription factors
essential for development, metabolic processes, and reproduction. Mutations in NRs are associated with
multiple cancer types and metabolic diseases. However, how the simultaneous actions of any given NR in
multiple organs and cell types are integrated to regulate SC lineages remains unknown. Our lab and others
have previously shown that NR activity in the Drosophila ovary itself regulates oogenesis. The ecdysone
heterodimeric receptor composed of the Ecdysone Receptor and Ultraspiracle controls GSC maintenance and
division, and differentiation of GSC progeny. In addition, Ecdysone-induced protein 78C is required for
establishing the correct GSC number and for egg chamber viability; whereas, EcR and E75 are required for
progression through vitellogenesis. The mechanisms whereby NR signaling in adult somatic tissues influence
the GSC lineage, however, are largely unknown. I hypothesize that HR4 (an understudied NR) activity is
required both in the germline and in one or more somatic tissues (through downstream secreted factors) to
control key regulatory checkpoints during oogenesis. To test this hypothesis, I will (1) identify the tissues and
cell types that require HR4 activity to influence oogenesis and (2) determine the downstream targets of HR4 in
different tissue required to regulate oogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439676
- **Project number:** 5R00GM127605-05
- **Recipient organization:** TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lesley Nicole Weaver
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $244,635
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439676

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439676, Regulation of oogenesis by nuclear receptor signaling (5R00GM127605-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439676. Licensed CC0.

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