Drosophila germline factor, Stand still, plays a vital role in preserving female germline cells by inhibiting apoptosis

Stand still (Stil) as a germline-specific apoptosis regulator essential for female germline maintenance through the repression of the proapoptotic gene reaper (rpr). stil encodes a 35.8 kDa BED-type zinc finger protein, which is co-localized with chromosomes. The loss of stil function almost completely abrogates ovarian germline cells by the time of eclosion. By a TUNEL labeling assay, we found that stil-deficient female germline cells undergo apoptotic cell death. Our study highlights the crucial role of Stil in safeguarding female germline cells from apoptosis, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying germline cell survival.