Differences in the relative timing of developmental events during oogenesis in lower dipterans (Nematocera) reveal the autonomy of follicular cells' differentiation program.

Although the ovaries of Nematocera are of the same meroistic-polytrophic type, they show significant differences in the activity of germ cells (oocytes, nurse cells) and their relative contribution to ribosome synthesis and storage during oogenesis. These different activities result in the different growth rate of the germ cells and may determine the life span of the nurse cells. Comparative analysis revealed that with reference to germ cell activity, two basic types of oogenesis in Nematocera can be distinguished. In the Tinearia type, the nurse cells grow considerably and are active until advanced stages of oogenesis, whereas the oocyte is transcriptionally inert. Conversely, in the Tipula type of oogenesis, the oocyte nucleus contains transcriptionally active multiple nucleoli, while nurse cells probably do not contribute to ribosome synthesis, remain relatively small and degenerate early in oogenesis. We studied and compared the process of somatic follicular cell differentiation in nematoceran species representing both types of oogenesis. Our observations indicate that morphogenesis of the follicular cells is at least partly independent of the nurse cell activity, while the execution of their differentiation does not require direct contacts between the follicular cells and the oocyte.