RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Transposon silencing in the Drosophila female germline is essential for genome stability in progeny embryos JF Life Science Alliance JO Life Sci. Alliance FD Life Science Alliance LLC SP e201800179 DO 10.26508/lsa.201800179 VO 1 IS 5 A1 Zeljko Durdevic A1 Ramesh S Pillai A1 Anne Ephrussi YR 2018 UL https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/1/5/e201800179.abstract AB The Piwi-interacting RNA pathway functions in transposon control in the germline of metazoans. The conserved RNA helicase Vasa is an essential Piwi-interacting RNA pathway component, but has additional important developmental functions. Here, we address the importance of Vasa-dependent transposon control in the Drosophila female germline and early embryos. We find that transient loss of vasa expression during early oogenesis leads to transposon up-regulation in supporting nurse cells of the fly egg-chamber. We show that elevated transposon levels have dramatic consequences, as de-repressed transposons accumulate in the oocyte where they cause DNA damage. We find that suppression of Chk2-mediated DNA damage signaling in vasa mutant females restores oogenesis and egg production. Damaged DNA and up-regulated transposons are transmitted from the mother to the embryos, which sustain severe nuclear defects and arrest development. Our findings reveal that the Vasa-dependent protection against selfish genetic elements in the nuage of nurse cell is essential to prevent DNA damage–induced arrest of embryonic development.