|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | |||||
Research Article |
1 University of Siena, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Via Mattioli 4,
I-53100 Siena, Italy
2 University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2
3EH, UK
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: dmg25{at}mole.bio.cam.ac.uk )
Accepted 6 December 2001
Drosophila abnormal spindle (asp) mutants exhibit a mitotic metaphase checkpoint arrest with abnormal spindle poles, which reflects a requirement for Asp for the integrity of microtubule organising centres (MTOCs). In male meiosis, the absence of a strong spindle integrity checkpoint enables asp mutant cells to proceed through anaphase and telophase. However, the central spindle region is not correctly organised and cells frequently fail to complete cytokinesis. This contrasts with meiosis in wild-type males where at late anaphase a dense array of microtubules forms in the central spindle region that has Asp localised at its border. We speculate that Asp is associated with the minus ends of microtubules that have been released from the spindle poles to form the central spindle. A parallel situation arises in female meiosis where Asp not only associates with the minus ends of microtubules at the acentriolar poles but also with the central spindle pole body that forms between the two tandem spindles of meiosis II. Upon fertilisation, Asp is also recruited to the MTOC that nucleates the sperm aster. Asp is required for growth of the microtubules of the sperm aster, which in asp mutants remains diminutive and so prevents migration of the pronuclei.
Key words: Asp, cytokinesis, meiosis, microtubules, contractile-ring, Drosophila
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. Cui, K. L. Sackton, V. L. Horner, K. E. Kumar, and M. F. Wolfner Wispy, the Drosophila Homolog of GLD-2, Is Required During Oogenesis and Egg Activation Genetics, April 1, 2008; 178(4): 2017 - 2029. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Brunk, B. Vernay, E. Griffith, N. L. Reynolds, D. Strutt, P. W. Ingham, and A. P. Jackson Microcephalin coordinates mitosis in the syncytial Drosophila embryo J. Cell Sci., October 15, 2007; 120(20): 3578 - 3588. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Vogt, I. Koch, H. Schwarz, F. Schnorrer, and C. Nusslein-Volhard The {gamma}TuRC components Grip75 and Grip128 have an essential microtubule-anchoring function in the Drosophila germline Development, October 15, 2006; 133(20): 3963 - 3972. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Colombie, C. Verollet, P. Sampaio, A. Moisand, C. Sunkel, H.-M. Bourbon, M. Wright, and B. Raynaud-Messina The Drosophila {gamma}-Tubulin Small Complex Subunit Dgrip84 Is Required for Structural and Functional Integrity of the Spindle Apparatus Mol. Biol. Cell, January 1, 2006; 17(1): 272 - 282. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. K. Jang, T. Rahman, and K. S. McKim The Kinesinlike Protein Subito Contributes to Central Spindle Assembly and Organization of the Meiotic Spindle in Drosophila Oocytes Mol. Biol. Cell, October 1, 2005; 16(10): 4684 - 4694. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. G. Riparbelli and G. Callaini The meiotic spindle of the Drosophila oocyte: the role of Centrosomin and the central aster J. Cell Sci., July 1, 2005; 118(13): 2827 - 2836. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Gatt, M. S. Savoian, M. G. Riparbelli, C. Massarelli, G. Callaini, and D. M. Glover Klp67A destabilises pre-anaphase microtubules but subsequently is required to stabilise the central spindle J. Cell Sci., June 15, 2005; 118(12): 2671 - 2682. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Raynaud-Messina, L. Mazzolini, A. Moisand, A.-M. Cirinesi, and M. Wright Elongation of centriolar microtubule triplets contributes to the formation of the mitotic spindle in {gamma}-tubulin-depleted cells J. Cell Sci., November 1, 2004; 117(23): 5497 - 5507. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. H. Inoue, M. S. Savoian, T. Suzuki, E. Mathe, M.-T. Yamamoto, and D. M. Glover Mutations in orbit/mast reveal that the central spindle is comprised of two microtubule populations, those that initiate cleavage and those that propagate furrow ingression J. Cell Biol., July 5, 2004; 166(1): 49 - 60. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Martinez-Campos, R. Basto, J. Baker, M. Kernan, and J. W. Raff The Drosophila pericentrin-like protein is essential for cilia/flagella function, but appears to be dispensable for mitosis J. Cell Biol., June 7, 2004; 165(5): 673 - 683. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Gandhi, S. Bonaccorsi, D. Wentworth, S. Doxsey, M. Gatti, and A. Pereira The Drosophila Kinesin-like Protein KLP67A Is Essential for Mitotic and Male Meiotic Spindle Assembly Mol. Biol. Cell, January 1, 2004; 15(1): 121 - 131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Bucciarelli, M. G. Giansanti, S. Bonaccorsi, and M. Gatti Spindle assembly and cytokinesis in the absence of chromosomes during Drosophila male meiosis J. Cell Biol., March 31, 2003; 160(7): 993 - 999. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Barbosa, M. Gatt, E. Rebollo, C. Gonzalez, and D. M. Glover Drosophila dd4 mutants reveal that {gamma}TuRC is required to maintain juxtaposed half spindles in spermatocytes J. Cell Sci., March 1, 2003; 116(5): 929 - 941. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
