Ng cyst formation or stability. Normally, CBs undergo a series of four synchronous cell cycles to generate 2-, 4-, 8- and 16-cell cysts. We recorded the number and stage of cysts in wild type, ecd mutant and ecdysone signaling depleted germaria (Fig. 2A, B, H). Wild-type germaria contain one to two CBs and 2-cell cysts, one 4- and one 8-cell cyst and one to two 16-cell cysts. Down regulation of somatic cell ecdysteroid signaling had little effect on CB, 2-, 4- and 8-cell cyst number (Fig. 2A, B) but dramatically lowered the number of 16cell cysts (Fig. 2C , 16-cell cysts outlined in C ). Surprisingly, the number of 16-cell cysts in ecd1 animals kept at the restrictive temperature barely changed, but rather than indicating a weaker effect on cyst formation, this is probably because pre-existing 16cell cysts present at the moment of temperature shift were unable to bud off as new follicles (see below). Under conditions 1326631 of limiting nutrition, both stage 8 follicles and 16-cell cysts in region 2a undergo apoptosis to preserve nutritional resources [8]. Ecdysone levels control entry into apoptosis by stage 8 follicles [9]. To establish whether ecdysteroid-dependent entry into apoptosis could similarly explain the lack of 16-cell cysts in germaria with reduced ecdysteroid signaling, apoptotic cysts were counted. However, no increase in apoptotic cyst 
number was observed (Fig. 2I), suggesting that ecdysteroid signaling regulates the formation, not the survival of 16-cell cysts.Steroid Signaling Mediates Female GametogenesisSteroid Signaling Mediates Female GametogenesisFigure 3. Follicle formation requires ecdysone signaling. A ) Germaria from control flies and animals in which ecdysone signaling was compromised following temperature shift for the indicated periods, were analyzed to determine the number of region 2a (dashed outline), region 2b (solid outline) and region 3 (solid outline) 16-cell cysts. Asterisk = missing follicle(s). Germaria from ecd1 animals (B) and animals in which ecdysone signaling components were knocked-down (F) were scored as to whether follicle formation was defective by analysing the number of cysts present (at least one cyst is normally present in each of regions 2a, 2b and 3) and whether the location and morphology of these cysts appeared normal. A) ecd1 18uC control; C ) ecd1 29uC day 4; G) c587 29oC day 8; H ) c587::USP RNAi 29C day 8; J) c587::EcR.B1 dominant unegative 29uC day 8. Green: somatic cells (anti-Tj), magenta: cell membranes and fusome (anti-hts and anti-FasIII). Error bars indicate s.d. Scale bar: 10 mm. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046109.gwere abnormally shaped and oriented (Fig. 3I, compare with 3G). By contrast, follicle formation BI-78D3 web defects occurred less frequently when EcR or E75 were knocked down (Fig. 1326631 3F), possibly due to weaker gene knockdown. Follicle formation defects were also seen when ecdysteroid signaling was disrupted by the expression of a dominant negative EcR construct, which expresses a competitive inhibitor to the endogenous EcR [28] (Fig. 3J, asterisk marks position of missing 2b and 3 follicles, by day 8 
at 29oC follicle formation defect were apparent in 5 (10/190) of control germaria and 47 (76/163) c587::UAS-EcR.DN germaria). Thus, canonical ecdysteroid signaling in somatic cells is MedChemExpress 58-49-1 important for follicle formation, in addition to its earlier roles. The difference in the penetrance of follicle formation defects seen between the ecd mutants and the ecdysone pathway member knock do.Ng cyst formation or stability. Normally, CBs undergo a series of four synchronous cell cycles to generate 2-, 4-, 8- and 16-cell cysts. We recorded the number and stage of cysts in wild type, ecd mutant and ecdysone signaling depleted germaria (Fig. 2A, B, H). Wild-type germaria contain one to two CBs and 2-cell cysts, one 4- and one 8-cell cyst and one to two 16-cell cysts. Down regulation of somatic cell ecdysteroid signaling had little effect on CB, 2-, 4- and 8-cell cyst number (Fig. 2A, B) but dramatically lowered the number of 16cell cysts (Fig. 2C , 16-cell cysts outlined in C ). Surprisingly, the number of 16-cell cysts in ecd1 animals kept at the restrictive temperature barely changed, but rather than indicating a weaker effect on cyst formation, this is probably because pre-existing 16cell cysts present at the moment of temperature shift were unable to bud off as new follicles (see below). Under conditions 1326631 of limiting nutrition, both stage 8 follicles and 16-cell cysts in region 2a undergo apoptosis to preserve nutritional resources [8]. Ecdysone levels control entry into apoptosis by stage 8 follicles [9]. To establish whether ecdysteroid-dependent entry into apoptosis could similarly explain the lack of 16-cell cysts in germaria with reduced ecdysteroid signaling, apoptotic cysts were counted. However, no increase in apoptotic cyst number was observed (Fig. 2I), suggesting that ecdysteroid signaling regulates the formation, not the survival of 16-cell cysts.Steroid Signaling Mediates Female GametogenesisSteroid Signaling Mediates Female GametogenesisFigure 3. Follicle formation requires ecdysone signaling. A ) Germaria from control flies and animals in which ecdysone signaling was compromised following temperature shift for the indicated periods, were analyzed to determine the number of region 2a (dashed outline), region 2b (solid outline) and region 3 (solid outline) 16-cell cysts. Asterisk = missing follicle(s). Germaria from ecd1 animals (B) and animals in which ecdysone signaling components were knocked-down (F) were scored as to whether follicle formation was defective by analysing the number of cysts present (at least one cyst is normally present in each of regions 2a, 2b and 3) and whether the location and morphology of these cysts appeared normal. A) ecd1 18uC control; C ) ecd1 29uC day 4; G) c587 29oC day 8; H ) c587::USP RNAi 29C day 8; J) c587::EcR.B1 dominant unegative 29uC day 8. Green: somatic cells (anti-Tj), magenta: cell membranes and fusome (anti-hts and anti-FasIII). Error bars indicate s.d. Scale bar: 10 mm. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046109.gwere abnormally shaped and oriented (Fig. 3I, compare with 3G). By contrast, follicle formation defects occurred less frequently when EcR or E75 were knocked down (Fig. 1326631 3F), possibly due to weaker gene knockdown. Follicle formation defects were also seen when ecdysteroid signaling was disrupted by the expression of a dominant negative EcR construct, which expresses a competitive inhibitor to the endogenous EcR [28] (Fig. 3J, asterisk marks position of missing 2b and 3 follicles, by day 8 at 29oC follicle formation defect were apparent in 5 (10/190) of control germaria and 47 (76/163) c587::UAS-EcR.DN germaria). Thus, canonical ecdysteroid signaling in somatic cells is important for follicle formation, in addition to its earlier roles. The difference in the penetrance of follicle formation defects seen between the ecd mutants and the ecdysone pathway member knock do.