swiss cheese is essential for maintaining spermatogenesis and the proper functioning of biological barriers in Drosophila

In humans, this leads to organophosphorus compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) syn-drome and several rare diseases. In this study, we analyze the role of the swiss cheese gene (sws), an ortholog of PNPLA6, in Drosophila melanogaster spermatogenesis.

We show that mutation in sws affects membrane remodeling during spermatid individualization, as well as spermatid coiling during the late stages of spermatogenesis. Furthermore, the sws1 mutation induces transcriptome changes in the testes. We also demonstrate that sws gene is essential for the proper functioning of important biological barriers in Drosophila.