Summary

Germline maintenance relies on adult stem cells to continually replenish lost gametes over a lifetime and respond to external cues altering the demands on the tissue. Mating worsens germline homeostasis over time, yet a negative impact on stem cell behavior has not been explored. Using extended live imaging of the Drosophila testis stem cell niche, we find that short periods of mating in young males disrupts cytokinesis in germline stem cells (GSCs). This defect leads to failure of abscission, preventing release of differentiating cells from the niche. We find that GSC abscission failure is caused by increased ecdysone hormone signaling induced upon mating, which leads to disrupted somatic encystment of the germline. Abscission failure is rescued by isolating males from females but recurs with resumption of mating. Importantly, reiterative mating also leads to increased GSC loss, requiring increased restoration of stem cells via symmetric renewal and de-differentiation. Together, these results suggest a model whereby acute mating results in hormonal changes that negatively impact GSC cytokinesis but preserves the stem cell population.

Graphical Abstract