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Rosfelter A, de Labbey G, Chenevert J, Dumollard R, Schaub S, Machaty Z, Besnardeau L, Gonzalez Suarez D, Hebras C, Turlier H, Burgess DR, McDougall A. Reduction of cortical pulling at mitotic entry facilitates aster centration. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs262037. [PMID: 38469748 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.262037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Equal cell division relies upon astral microtubule-based centering mechanisms, yet how the interplay between mitotic entry, cortical force generation and long astral microtubules leads to symmetric cell division is not resolved. We report that a cortically located sperm aster displaying long astral microtubules that penetrate the whole zygote does not undergo centration until mitotic entry. At mitotic entry, we find that microtubule-based cortical pulling is lost. Quantitative measurements of cortical pulling and cytoplasmic pulling together with physical simulations suggested that a wavelike loss of cortical pulling at mitotic entry leads to aster centration based on cytoplasmic pulling. Cortical actin is lost from the cortex at mitotic entry coincident with a fall in cortical tension from ∼300pN/µm to ∼100pN/µm. Following the loss of cortical force generators at mitotic entry, long microtubule-based cytoplasmic pulling is sufficient to displace the aster towards the cell center. These data reveal how mitotic aster centration is coordinated with mitotic entry in chordate zygotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Rosfelter
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Ghislain de Labbey
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241 / INSERM U1050, Université PSL, 75002 Paris, France
| | - Janet Chenevert
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Rémi Dumollard
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Sebastien Schaub
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Zoltan Machaty
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Lydia Besnardeau
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Daniel Gonzalez Suarez
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Céline Hebras
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Hervé Turlier
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241 / INSERM U1050, Université PSL, 75002 Paris, France
| | - David R Burgess
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
| | - Alex McDougall
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Developpement de Villefranche-sur-mer, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche-sur-mer, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Villefranche-sur-mer, France
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2
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Tada S, Yamazaki Y, Yamamoto K, Fujii K, Yamada TG, Hiroi NF, Kimura A, Funahashi A. Switching from weak to strong cortical attachment of microtubules accounts for the transition from nuclear centration to spindle elongation in metazoans. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25494. [PMID: 38356608 PMCID: PMC10865266 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The centrosome is a major microtubule organizing center in animal cells. The position of the centrosomes inside the cell is important for cell functions such as cell cycle, and thus should be tightly regulated. Theoretical models based on the forces generated along the microtubules have been proposed to account for the dynamic movements of the centrosomes during the cell cycle. These models, however, often adopted inconsistent assumptions to explain distinct but successive movements, thus preventing a unified model for centrosome positioning. For the centration of the centrosomes, weak attachment of the astral microtubules to the cell cortex was assumed. In contrast, for the separation of the centrosomes during spindle elongation, strong attachment was assumed. Here, we mathematically analyzed these processes at steady state and found that the different assumptions are proper for each process. We experimentally validated our conclusion using nematode and sea urchin embryos by manipulating their shapes. Our results suggest the existence of a molecular mechanism that converts the cortical attachment from weak to strong during the transition from centrosome centration to spindle elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Tada
- Center for Biosciences and Informatics, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Yamazaki
- Center for Biosciences and Informatics, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kazunori Yamamoto
- Cell Architecture Laboratory, Department of Chromosome Science, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Genetics Program, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 243-0292, Japan
- Division of Developmental Physiology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0815, Japan
| | - Ken Fujii
- Cell Architecture Laboratory, Department of Chromosome Science, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Genetics Program, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takahiro G. Yamada
- Center for Biosciences and Informatics, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Noriko F. Hiroi
- School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ward, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Faculty of Creative Engineering, Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 243-0292, Japan
| | - Akatsuki Kimura
- Cell Architecture Laboratory, Department of Chromosome Science, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Genetics Program, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Center for Data Assimilation Research and Applications, Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS), Tachikawa, 190-8562, Japan
| | - Akira Funahashi
- Center for Biosciences and Informatics, Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
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Linehan JB, Edwards GA, Boudreau V, Maddox AS, Maddox PS. Model-based trajectory classification of anchored molecular motor-biopolymer interactions. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2023; 3:100130. [PMID: 37811483 PMCID: PMC10558742 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2023.100130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
During zygotic mitosis in many species, forces generated at the cell cortex are required for the separation and migration of paternally provided centrosomes, pronuclear migration, segregation of genetic material, and cell division. Furthermore, in some species, force-generating interactions between spindle microtubules and the cortex position the mitotic spindle asymmetrically within the zygote, an essential step in asymmetric cell division. Understanding the mechanical and molecular mechanisms of microtubule-dependent force generation and therefore asymmetric cell division requires identification of individual cortical force-generating units in vivo. There is no current method for identifying individual force-generating units with high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we present a method to determine both the location and the relative number of microtubule-dependent cortical force-generating units using single-molecule imaging of fluorescently labeled dynein. Dynein behavior is modeled to classify trajectories of cortically bound dynein according to whether they are interacting with a microtubule. The categorization strategy recapitulates well-known force asymmetries in C. elegans zygote mitosis. To evaluate the robustness of categorization, we used RNAi to deplete the tubulin subunit TBA-2. As predicted, this treatment reduced the number of trajectories categorized as engaged with a microtubule. Our technique will be a valuable tool to define the molecular mechanisms of dynein cortical force generation and its regulation as well as other instances wherein anchored motors interact with biopolymers (e.g., actin, tubulin, DNA).
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Affiliation(s)
- John B. Linehan
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Gerald Alan Edwards
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Vincent Boudreau
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Paul S. Maddox
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Mahadik SS, Lundquist EA. A short isoform of the UNC-6/Netrin receptor UNC-5 is required for growth cone polarity and robust growth cone protrusion in Caenorhabditis elegans. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1240994. [PMID: 37649551 PMCID: PMC10464613 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1240994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: UNC-6/Netrin is a conserved bi-functional guidance cue which regulates dorsal-ventral axon guidance in C. elegans. In the Polarity/Protrusion model of UNC-6/Netrin mediated dorsal growth away from UNC-6/Netrin, The UNC-5 receptor first polarizes the VD growth cone such that filopodial protrusions are biased dorsally. Based on this polarity, the UNC-40/DCC receptor stimulates growth cone lamellipodial and filopodial protrusion dorsally. The UNC-5 receptor maintains dorsal polarity of protrusion, and inhibits growth cone protrusion ventrally, resulting in net dorsal growth cone advance. Methods: Growth cone imaging in mutants, combined with Cas9 genome editing and genetic analysis, were used to analyze the role of a novel short isoform on unc-5 in growth cone polarity and protrusion. Results: Work presented here demonstrates a novel role of a previously undescribed, conserved short isoform of UNC-5 (UNC-5B). UNC-5B lacks the cytoplasmic domains of UNC-5 long, including the DEATH domain, the UPA/DB domain, and most of the ZU5 domain. Mutations that specifically affect only the unc-5 long isoforms were hypomorphic, suggesting a role of unc-5B short. A mutation specifically affecting unc-5B caused loss of dorsal polarity of protrusion and reduced growth cone filopodial protrusion, the opposite of unc-5 long mutations. Transgenic expression of unc-5B partially rescued unc-5 axon guidance defects, and resulted in large growth cones. Tyrosine 482 (Y482) in the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane region has been shown to be important for UNC-5 function, and is present in both UNC-5 long and UNC-5B short. Results reported here show that Y482 is required for the function of UNC-5 long and for some functions of UNC-5B short. Finally, genetic interactions with unc-40 and unc-6 suggest that UNC-5B short acts in parallel to UNC-6/Netrin to ensure robust growth cone lamellipodial protrusion. Discussion: These results demonstrate a previously-undescribed role for the UNC-5B short isoform, which is required for dorsal polarity of growth cone filopodial protrusion and to stimulate growth cone protrusion, in contrast to the previously-described role of UNC-5 long in inhibiting growth cone protrusion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik A. Lundquist
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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Li X, Bloomfield M, Bridgeland A, Cimini D, Chen J. A fine balance among key biophysical factors is required for recovery of bipolar mitotic spindle from monopolar and multipolar abnormalities. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar90. [PMID: 37342878 PMCID: PMC10398891 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-10-0485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
During mitosis, equal partitioning of chromosomes into two daughter cells requires assembly of a bipolar mitotic spindle. Because the spindle poles are each organized by a centrosome in animal cells, centrosome defects can lead to monopolar or multipolar spindles. However, the cell can effectively recover the bipolar spindle by separating the centrosomes in monopolar spindles and clustering them in multipolar spindles. To interrogate how a cell can separate and cluster centrosomes as needed to form a bipolar spindle, we developed a biophysical model, based on experimental data, which uses effective potential energies to describe key mechanical forces driving centrosome movements during spindle assembly. Our model identified general biophysical factors crucial for robust bipolarization of spindles that start as monopolar or multipolar. These factors include appropriate force fluctuation between centrosomes, balance between repulsive and attractive forces between centrosomes, exclusion of the centrosomes from the cell center, proper cell size and geometry, and a limited centrosome number. Consistently, we found experimentally that bipolar centrosome clustering is promoted as mitotic cell aspect ratio and volume decrease in tetraploid cancer cells. Our model provides mechanistic explanations for many more experimental phenomena and a useful theoretical framework for future studies of spindle assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochu Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- BIOTRANS Graduate Program, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Mathew Bloomfield
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Alexandra Bridgeland
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Systems Biology Program, College of Science, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Daniela Cimini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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McGorty RJ, Currie CJ, Michel J, Sasanpour M, Gunter C, Lindsay KA, Rust MJ, Katira P, Das M, Ross JL, Robertson-Anderson RM. Kinesin and myosin motors compete to drive rich multiphase dynamics in programmable cytoskeletal composites. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad245. [PMID: 37575673 PMCID: PMC10416814 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The cellular cytoskeleton relies on diverse populations of motors, filaments, and binding proteins acting in concert to enable nonequilibrium processes ranging from mitosis to chemotaxis. The cytoskeleton's versatile reconfigurability, programmed by interactions between its constituents, makes it a foundational active matter platform. However, current active matter endeavors are limited largely to single force-generating components acting on a single substrate-far from the composite cytoskeleton in cells. Here, we engineer actin-microtubule (MT) composites, driven by kinesin and myosin motors and tuned by crosslinkers, to ballistically restructure and flow with speeds that span three orders of magnitude depending on the composite formulation and time relative to the onset of motor activity. Differential dynamic microscopy analyses reveal that kinesin and myosin compete to delay the onset of acceleration and suppress discrete restructuring events, while passive crosslinking of either actin or MTs has an opposite effect. Our minimal advection-diffusion model and spatial correlation analyses correlate these dynamics to structure, with motor antagonism suppressing reconfiguration and demixing, while crosslinking enhances clustering. Despite the rich formulation space and emergent formulation-dependent structures, the nonequilibrium dynamics across all composites and timescales can be organized into three classes-slow isotropic reorientation, fast directional flow, and multimode restructuring. Moreover, our mathematical model demonstrates that diverse structural motifs can arise simply from the interplay between motor-driven advection and frictional drag. These general features of our platform facilitate applicability to other active matter systems and shed light on diverse ways that cytoskeletal components can cooperate or compete to enable wide-ranging cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J McGorty
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Christopher J Currie
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Jonathan Michel
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Mehrzad Sasanpour
- Department of Physics and Biophysics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110, USA
| | - Christopher Gunter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - K Alice Lindsay
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Michael J Rust
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Parag Katira
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Moumita Das
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
| | - Jennifer L Ross
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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Haruta N, Sumiyoshi E, Honda Y, Terasawa M, Uchiyama C, Toya M, Kubota Y, Sugimoto A. A germline-specific role for unconventional components of the γ-tubulin complex in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260922. [PMID: 37313686 PMCID: PMC10657210 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The γ-tubulin complex (γTuC) is a widely conserved microtubule nucleator, but some of its components, namely GCP4, GCP5 and GCP6 (also known as TUBGCP4, TUBGCP5 and TUBGCP6, respectively), have not been detected in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we identified two γTuC-associated proteins in C. elegans, GTAP-1 and GTAP-2, for which apparent orthologs were detected only in the genus Caenorhabditis. GTAP-1 and GTAP-2 were found to localize at centrosomes and the plasma membrane of the germline, and their centrosomal localization was interdependent. In early C. elegans embryos, whereas the conserved γTuC component MZT-1 (also known as MOZART1 and MZT1) was essential for the localization of centrosomal γ-tubulin, depletion of GTAP-1 and/or GTAP-2 caused up to 50% reduction of centrosomal γ-tubulin and precocious disassembly of spindle poles during mitotic telophase. In the adult germline, GTAP-1 and GTAP-2 contributed to efficient recruitment of the γTuC to the plasma membrane. Depletion of GTAP-1, but not of GTAP-2, severely disrupted both the microtubule array and the honeycomb-like structure of the adult germline. We propose that GTAP-1 and GTAP-2 are unconventional components of the γTuC that contribute to the organization of both centrosomal and non-centrosomal microtubules by targeting the γTuC to specific subcellular sites in a tissue-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nami Haruta
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Eisuke Sumiyoshi
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yu Honda
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Masahiro Terasawa
- Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Chihiro Uchiyama
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Mika Toya
- Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yukihiko Kubota
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Asako Sugimoto
- Laboratory of Developmental Dynamics, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
- Laboratory for Developmental Genomics, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
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8
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Mahadik SS, Lundquist EA. A short isoform of the UNC-6/Netrin receptor UNC-5 is required for growth cone polarity and robust growth cone protrusion in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.02.539117. [PMID: 37205526 PMCID: PMC10187218 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.02.539117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
UNC-6/Netrin is a conserved bi-functional guidance cue which regulates dorsal-ventral axon guidance in C. elegans . In the Polarity/Protrusion model of UNC-6/Netrin mediated dorsal growth away from UNC-6/Netrin, The UNC-5 receptor first polarizes the VD growth cone such that filopodial protrusions are biased dorsally. Based on this polarity, the UNC-40/DCC receptor stimulates growth cone lamellipodial and filopodial protrusion dorsally. The UNC-5 receptor maintains dorsal polarity of protrusion, and inhibits growth cone protrusion ventrally, resulting in net dorsal growth cone advance. Work presented here demonstrates a novel role of a previously undescribed, conserved short isoform of UNC-5 (UNC-5B). UNC-5B lacks the cytoplasmic domains of UNC-5 long, including the DEATH domain, the UPA/DB domain, and most of the ZU5 domain. Mutations that specifically affect only the unc-5 long isoforms were hypomorphic, suggesting a role of unc-5B short. A mutation specifically affecting unc-5B cause loss of dorsal polarity of protrusion and reduced growth cone filopodial protrusion, the opposite of unc-5 long mutations. Transgenic expression of unc-5B partially rescued unc-5 axon guidance defects, and resulted in large growth cones. Tyrosine 482 (Y482) in the cytoplasmic juxtamembrane region has been shown to be important for UNC-5 function, and is present in both UNC-5 long and UNC-5B short. Results reported here show that Y482 is required for the function of UNC-5 long and for some functions of UNC-5B short. Finally, genetic interactions with unc-40 and unc-6 suggest that UNC-5B short acts in parallel to UNC-6/Netrin to ensure robust growth cone lamellipodial protrusion. In sum, these results demonstrate a previously-undescribed role for the UNC-5B short isoform, which is required for dorsal polarity of growth cone filopodial protrusion and to stimulate growth cone protrusion, in contrast to the previously-described role of UNC-5 long in inhibiting growth cone protrusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehal S. Mahadik
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, 5049 Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045
| | - Erik A. Lundquist
- Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, 5049 Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045
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9
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Murray LE, Kim H, Rice LM, Asbury CL. Working strokes produced by curling protofilaments at disassembling microtubule tips can be biochemically tuned and vary with species. eLife 2022; 11:e83225. [PMID: 36580070 PMCID: PMC9799970 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The disassembly of microtubules can generate force and drive intracellular motility. During mitosis, for example, chromosomes remain persistently attached via kinetochores to the tips of disassembling microtubules, which pull the sister chromatids apart. According to the conformational wave hypothesis, such force generation requires that protofilaments curl outward from the disassembling tips to exert pulling force directly on kinetochores. Rigorously testing this idea will require modifying the mechanical and energetic properties of curling protofilaments, but no way to do so has yet been described. Here, by direct measurement of working strokes generated in vitro by curling protofilaments, we show that their mechanical energy output can be increased by adding magnesium, and that yeast microtubules generate larger and more energetic working strokes than bovine microtubules. Both the magnesium and species-dependent increases in work output can be explained by lengthening the protofilament curls, without any change in their bending stiffness or intrinsic curvature. These observations demonstrate how work output from curling protofilaments can be tuned and suggest evolutionary conservation of the amount of curvature strain energy stored in the microtubule lattice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E Murray
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Haein Kim
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Luke M Rice
- Department of Biophysics, UT Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Charles L Asbury
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
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10
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Kawano D, Pinter K, Chlebowski M, Petralia RS, Wang YX, Nechiporuk AV, Drerup CM. NudC regulated Lis1 stability is essential for the maintenance of dynamic microtubule ends in axon terminals. iScience 2022; 25:105072. [PMID: 36147950 PMCID: PMC9485903 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the axon terminal, microtubule stability is decreased relative to the axon shaft. The dynamic microtubule plus ends found in the axon terminal have many functions, including serving as a docking site for the Cytoplasmic dynein motor. Here, we report an unexplored function of dynein in microtubule regulation in axon terminals: regulation of microtubule stability. Using a forward genetic screen, we identified a mutant with an abnormal axon terminal structure owing to a loss of function mutation in NudC. We show that, in the axon terminal, NudC is a chaperone for the protein Lis1. Decreased Lis1 in nudc axon terminals causes dynein/dynactin accumulation and increased microtubule stability. Microtubule dynamics can be restored by pharmacologically inhibiting dynein, implicating excess dynein motor function in microtubule stabilization. Together, our data support a model in which local NudC-Lis1 modulation of the dynein motor is critical for the regulation of microtubule stability in the axon terminal. NudC, a dynein regulator, is crucial for axon terminal structure NudC mutation leads to a near complete loss of Lis1 protein in axon terminals Lis1 deficits cause accumulation of dynein and cargo in axon terminals Local elevation of dynein increases axon terminal microtubule stability
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane Kawano
- Unit on Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katherine Pinter
- Unit on Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Madison Chlebowski
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Ronald S Petralia
- Advanced Imaging Core, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ya-Xian Wang
- Advanced Imaging Core, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Alex V Nechiporuk
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Catherine M Drerup
- Unit on Neuronal Cell Biology, National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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11
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Shah P, Bao Z, Zaidel-Bar R. Visualizing and quantifying molecular and cellular processes in C. elegans using light microscopy. Genetics 2022; 221:6619563. [PMID: 35766819 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Light microscopes are the cell and developmental biologists' "best friend", providing a means to see structures and follow dynamics from the protein to the organism level. A huge advantage of C. elegans as a model organism is its transparency, which coupled with its small size means that nearly every biological process can be observed and measured with the appropriate probe and light microscope. Continuous improvement in microscope technologies along with novel genome editing techniques to create transgenic probes have facilitated the development and implementation of a dizzying array of methods for imaging worm embryos, larvae and adults. In this review we provide an overview of the molecular and cellular processes that can be visualized in living worms using light microscopy. A partial inventory of fluorescent probes and techniques successfully used in worms to image the dynamics of cells, organelles, DNA, and protein localization and activity is followed by a practical guide to choosing between various imaging modalities, including widefield, confocal, lightsheet, and structured illumination microscopy. Finally, we discuss the available tools and approaches, including machine learning, for quantitative image analysis tasks, such as colocalization, segmentation, object tracking, and lineage tracing. Hopefully, this review will inspire worm researchers who have not yet imaged their worms to begin, and push those who are imaging to go faster, finer, and longer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavak Shah
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095, USA
| | - Zhirong Bao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Ronen Zaidel-Bar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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12
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Khatri D, Brugière T, Athale CA, Delattre M. Evolutionary divergence of anaphase spindle mechanics in nematode embryos constrained by antagonistic pulling and viscous forces. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar61. [PMID: 35235368 PMCID: PMC9265157 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-10-0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular functions like cell division are remarkably conserved across phyla. However the evolutionary principles of cellular organization that drive it are less well explored. Thus, an essential question remains: to what extent cellular parameters evolve without altering the basic function they sustain? Here we have observed 6 different nematode species for which the mitotic spindle is positioned asymmetrically during the first embryonic division. Whereas the C. elegans spindle undergoes oscillations during its displacement, the spindle elongates without oscillations in other species. We asked which evolutionary changes in biophysical parameters could explain differences in spindle motion while maintaining a constant output. Using laser microsurgery of the spindle we revealed that all species are subjected to cortical pulling forces, of varying magnitudes. Using a viscoelastic model to fit the recoil trajectories and with an independent measurement of cytoplasmic viscosity, we extracted the values of cytoplasmic drag, cortical pulling forces and spindle elasticity for all species. We found large variations in cytoplasmic viscosity whereas cortical pulling forces and elasticity were often more constrained. In agreement with previous simulations, we found that increased viscosity correlates with decreased oscillation speeds across species. However, the absence of oscillations despite low viscosity in some species, can only be explained by smaller pulling forces. Consequently, we find that spindle mobility across the species analyzed here is characterized by a tradeoff between cytoplasmic viscosity and pulling forces normalized by the size of the embryo. Our work provides a framework for understanding mechanical constraints on evolutionary diversification of spindle mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv Khatri
- Div. of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
| | - Thibault Brugière
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Inserm, UCBL, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Chaitanya A Athale
- Div. of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India
| | - Marie Delattre
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Inserm, UCBL, 69007 Lyon, France
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13
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Hornak I, Rieger H. Stochastic model of T Cell repolarization during target elimination (II). Biophys J 2022; 121:1246-1265. [PMID: 35196513 PMCID: PMC9034251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (T cells) and natural killer cells form a tight contact, the immunological synapse (IS), with target cells, where they release their lytic granules containing perforin/granzyme and cytokine-containing vesicles. During this process the cell repolarizes and moves the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) toward the IS. In the first part of our work we developed a computational model for the molecular-motor-driven motion of the microtubule cytoskeleton during T cell polarization and analyzed the effects of cortical-sliding and capture-shrinkage mechanisms. Here we use this model to analyze the dynamics of the MTOC repositioning in situations in which 1) the IS is in an arbitrary position with respect to the initial position of the MTOC and 2) the T cell has two IS at two arbitrary positions. In the case of one IS, we found that the initial position determines which mechanism is dominant and that the time of repositioning does not rise monotonously with the MTOC-IS distance. In the case of two IS, we observe several scenarios that have also been reported experimentally: the MTOC alternates stochastically (but with a well-defined average transition time) between the two IS; it wiggles in between the two IS without transiting to one of the two; or it is at some point pulled to one of the two IS and stays there. Our model allows one to predict which scenario emerges in dependency of the mechanisms in action and the number of dyneins present. We report that the presence of capture-shrinkage mechanism in at least one IS is necessary to assure the transitions in every cell configuration. Moreover, the frequency of transitions does not decrease with the distance between the two IS and is the highest when both mechanisms are present in both IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Hornak
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Heiko Rieger
- Department of Theoretical Physics, Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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14
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Deshpande O, Telley IA. Nuclear positioning during development: Pushing, pulling and flowing. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 120:10-21. [PMID: 34642103 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The positioning of the nucleus, the central organelle of the cell, is an active and regulated process crucially linked to cell cycle, differentiation, migration, and polarity. Alterations in positioning have been correlated with cell and tissue function deficiency and genetic or chemical manipulation of nuclear position is embryonic lethal. Nuclear positioning is a precursor for symmetric or asymmetric cell division which is accompanied by fate determination of the daughter cells. Nuclear positioning also plays a key role during early embryonic developmental stages in insects, such as Drosophila, where hundreds of nuclei divide without cytokinesis and are distributed within the large syncytial embryo at roughly regular spacing. While the cytoskeletal elements and the linker proteins to the nucleus are fairly well characterised, including some of the force generating elements driving nuclear movement, there is considerable uncertainty about the biophysical mechanism of nuclear positioning, while the field is debating different force models. In this review, we highlight the current body of knowledge, discuss cell context dependent models of nuclear positioning, and outline open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ojas Deshpande
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ivo A Telley
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC), Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
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15
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Lechler T, Mapelli M. Spindle positioning and its impact on vertebrate tissue architecture and cell fate. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:691-708. [PMID: 34158639 PMCID: PMC10544824 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00384-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In multicellular systems, oriented cell divisions are essential for morphogenesis and homeostasis as they determine the position of daughter cells within the tissue and also, in many cases, their fate. Early studies in invertebrates led to the identification of conserved core mechanisms of mitotic spindle positioning centred on the Gαi-LGN-NuMA-dynein complex. In recent years, much has been learnt about the way this complex functions in vertebrate cells. In particular, studies addressed how the Gαi-LGN-NuMA-dynein complex dynamically crosstalks with astral microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton, and how it is regulated to orient the spindle according to cellular and tissue-wide cues. We have also begun to understand how dynein motors and actin regulators interact with mechanosensitive adhesion molecules sensing extracellular mechanical stimuli, such as cadherins and integrins, and with signalling pathways so as to respond to extracellular cues instructing the orientation of the division axis in vivo. In this Review, with the focus on epithelial tissues, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of mitotic spindle orientation in vertebrate cells, and how this machinery is regulated by epithelial cues and extracellular signals to maintain tissue cohesiveness during mitosis. We also outline recent knowledge of how spindle orientation impacts tissue architecture in epithelia and its emerging links to the regulation of cell fate decisions. Finally, we describe how defective spindle orientation can be corrected or its effects eliminated in tissues under physiological conditions, and the pathological implications associated with spindle misorientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Lechler
- Department of Dermatology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Marina Mapelli
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Vukušić K, Tolić IM. Anaphase B: Long-standing models meet new concepts. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 117:127-139. [PMID: 33849764 PMCID: PMC8406420 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mitotic cell divisions ensure stable transmission of genetic information from a mother to daughter cells in a series of generations. To ensure this crucial task is accomplished, the cell forms a bipolar structure called the mitotic spindle that divides sister chromatids to the opposite sides of the dividing mother cell. After successful establishment of stable attachments of microtubules to chromosomes and inspection of connections between them, at the heart of mitosis, the cell starts the process of segregation. This spectacular moment in the life of a cell is termed anaphase, and it involves two distinct processes: depolymerization of microtubules bound to chromosomes, which is also known as anaphase A, and elongation of the spindle or anaphase B. Both processes ensure physical separation of disjointed sister chromatids. In this chapter, we review the mechanisms of anaphase B spindle elongation primarily in mammalian systems, combining different pioneering ideas and concepts with more recent findings that shed new light on the force generation and regulation of biochemical modules operating during spindle elongation. Finally, we present a comprehensive model of spindle elongation that includes structural, biophysical, and molecular aspects of anaphase B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kruno Vukušić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Iva M Tolić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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17
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Mercadante DL, Manning AL, Olson SD. Modeling reveals cortical dynein-dependent fluctuations in bipolar spindle length. Biophys J 2021; 120:3192-3210. [PMID: 34197801 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper formation and maintenance of the mitotic spindle is required for faithful cell division. Although much work has been done to understand the roles of the key molecular components of the mitotic spindle, identifying the consequences of force perturbations in the spindle remains a challenge. We develop a computational framework accounting for the minimal force requirements of mitotic progression. To reflect early spindle formation, we model microtubule dynamics and interactions with major force-generating motors, excluding chromosome interactions that dominate later in mitosis. We directly integrate our experimental data to define and validate the model. We then use simulations to analyze individual force components over time and their relationship to spindle dynamics, making it distinct from previously published models. We show through both model predictions and biological manipulation that rather than achieving and maintaining a constant bipolar spindle length, fluctuations in pole-to-pole distance occur that coincide with microtubule binding and force generation by cortical dynein. Our model further predicts that high dynein activity is required for spindle bipolarity when kinesin-14 (HSET) activity is also high. To the best of our knowledge, our results provide novel insight into the role of cortical dynein in the regulation of spindle bipolarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayna L Mercadante
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Amity L Manning
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester, Massachusetts.
| | - Sarah D Olson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts.
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18
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Abstract
During anaphase, a microtubule-containing structure called the midzone forms between the segregating chromosomes. The midzone is composed of an antiparallel array of microtubules and numerous microtubule-associated proteins that contribute to midzone formation and function. In many cells, the midzone is an important source of signals that specify the location of contractile ring assembly and constriction. The midzone also contributes to the events of anaphase by generating forces that impact chromosome segregation and spindle elongation; some midzone components contribute to both processes. The results of recent experiments have increased our understanding of the importance of the midzone, a microtubule array that has often been overlooked. This Journal of Cell Science at a Glance article will review, and illustrate on the accompanying poster, the organization, formation and dynamics of the midzone, and discuss open questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Wadsworth
- Department of Biology, Morrill Science Center, University of Massachusetts, 611 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst 01003, USA
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19
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EFA6 in Axon Regeneration, as a Microtubule Regulator and as a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061325. [PMID: 34073530 PMCID: PMC8226579 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Axon regeneration after injury is a conserved biological process that involves a large number of molecular pathways, including rapid calcium influx at injury sites, retrograde injury signaling, epigenetic transition, transcriptional reprogramming, polarized transport, and cytoskeleton reorganization. Despite the numerous efforts devoted to understanding the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of axon regeneration, the search continues for effective target molecules for improving axon regeneration. Although there have been significant historical efforts towards characterizing pro-regenerative factors involved in axon regeneration, the pursuit of intrinsic inhibitors is relatively recent. EFA6 (exchange factor for ARF6) has been demonstrated to inhibit axon regeneration in different organisms. EFA6 inhibition could be a promising therapeutic strategy to promote axon regeneration and functional recovery after axon injury. This review summarizes the inhibitory role on axon regeneration through regulating microtubule dynamics and through affecting ARF6 (ADP-ribosylation factor 6) GTPase-mediated integrin transport.
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20
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Bouvrais H, Chesneau L, Le Cunff Y, Fairbrass D, Soler N, Pastezeur S, Pécot T, Kervrann C, Pécréaux J. The coordination of spindle-positioning forces during the asymmetric division of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e50770. [PMID: 33900015 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, astral microtubules generate forces essential to position the mitotic spindle, by pushing against and pulling from the cortex. Measuring microtubule dynamics there, we revealed the presence of two populations, corresponding to pulling and pushing events. It offers a unique opportunity to study, under physiological conditions, the variations of both spindle-positioning forces along space and time. We propose a threefold control of pulling force, by polarity, spindle position and mitotic progression. We showed that the sole anteroposterior asymmetry in dynein on-rate, encoding pulling force imbalance, is sufficient to cause posterior spindle displacement. The positional regulation, reflecting the number of microtubule contacts in the posterior-most region, reinforces this imbalance only in late anaphase. Furthermore, we exhibited the first direct proof that dynein processivity increases along mitosis. It reflects the temporal control of pulling forces, which strengthens at anaphase onset following mitotic progression and independently from chromatid separation. In contrast, the pushing force remains constant and symmetric and contributes to maintaining the spindle at the cell centre during metaphase.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yann Le Cunff
- CNRS, IGDR - UMR 6290, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | | | - Nina Soler
- CNRS, IGDR - UMR 6290, University of Rennes, Rennes, France
| | | | - Thierry Pécot
- INRIA, Centre Rennes - Bretagne Atlantique, Rennes, France
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21
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Chapa-Y-Lazo B, Hamanaka M, Wray A, Balasubramanian MK, Mishima M. Polar relaxation by dynein-mediated removal of cortical myosin II. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:151836. [PMID: 32497213 PMCID: PMC7401816 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201903080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly six decades ago, Lewis Wolpert proposed the relaxation of the polar cell cortex by the radial arrays of astral microtubules as a mechanism for cleavage furrow induction. While this mechanism has remained controversial, recent work has provided evidence for polar relaxation by astral microtubules, although its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, using C. elegans embryos, we show that polar relaxation is achieved through dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes. Mutants that position centrosomes closer to the polar cortex accelerated furrow induction, whereas suppression of dynein activity delayed furrowing. We show that dynein-mediated removal of myosin II from the polar cortexes triggers a bidirectional cortical flow toward the cell equator, which induces the assembly of the actomyosin contractile ring. These results provide a molecular mechanism for the aster-dependent polar relaxation, which works in parallel with equatorial stimulation to promote robust cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Chapa-Y-Lazo
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Motonari Hamanaka
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.,Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Alexander Wray
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.,University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mohan K Balasubramanian
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
| | - Masanori Mishima
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology & Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK
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22
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Jain K, Khetan N, Yadav SA, Palani S, Athale CA. Collective dynein transport of the nucleus by pulling on astral microtubules during Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitosis. Yeast 2021; 38:352-366. [PMID: 33547820 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Positioning the nucleus at the bud neck during Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitosis involves pulling forces of cytoplasmic dynein localized in the daughter cell. Although genetic analysis has revealed a complex network positioning the nucleus, quantification of the forces acting on the nucleus and the number of dyneins driving the process has remained difficult. To better understand the collective forces involved in nuclear positioning, we compare a model of dyneins-driven microtubule (MT) pulling, MT pushing, and cytoplasmic drag to experiments. During S. cerevisiae mitosis, MTs interacting with the cortex nucleated by the daughter spindle pole body (SPB) (SPB-D) are longer than the mother SPB (SPB-M), increasing further during spindle elongation in anaphase. Interphasic SPB mobility is effectively diffusive, while the mitotic mobility is directed. By optimizing a computational model of the mobility of the nucleus due to diffusion and MTs pushing at the cell membrane to experiment, we estimate the viscosity governing the drag force on nuclei during positioning. A force balance model of mitotic SPB mobility compared to experimental mobility suggests that even one or two dynein dimers are sufficient to move the nucleus in the bud neck. Using stochastic computer simulations of a budding cell, we find that punctate dynein localization can generate sufficient force to reel in the nucleus to the bud neck. Compared to uniform motor localization, puncta involve fewer motors suggesting a functional role for motor clustering. Stochastic simulations also suggest that a higher number of force generators than predicted by force balance may be required to ensure the robustness of spindle positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunalika Jain
- Division of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Neha Khetan
- Division of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Shivani A Yadav
- Division of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Saravanan Palani
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology and Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), C.V. Raman Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Chaitanya A Athale
- Division of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
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23
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Delattre M, Goehring NW. The first steps in the life of a worm: Themes and variations in asymmetric division in C. elegans and other nematodes. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 144:269-308. [PMID: 33992156 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Starting with Boveri in the 1870s, microscopic investigation of early embryogenesis in a broad swath of nematode species revealed the central role of asymmetric cell division in embryonic axis specification, blastomere positioning, and cell fate specification. Notably, across the class Chromadorea, a conserved theme emerges-asymmetry is first established in the zygote and specifies its asymmetric division, giving rise to an anterior somatic daughter cell and a posterior germline daughter cell. Beginning in the 1980s, the emergence of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism saw the advent of genetic tools that enabled rapid progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying asymmetric division, in many cases defining key paradigms that turn out to regulate asymmetric division in a wide range of systems. Yet, the consequence of this focus on C. elegans came at the expense of exploring the extant diversity of developmental variation exhibited across nematode species. Given the resurgent interest in evolutionary studies facilitated in part by new tools, here we revisit the diversity in this asymmetric first division, juxtaposing molecular insight into mechanisms of symmetry-breaking, spindle positioning and fate specification, with a consideration of plasticity and variability within and between species. In the process, we hope to highlight questions of evolutionary forces and molecular variation that may have shaped the extant diversity of developmental mechanisms observed across Nematoda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Delattre
- Laboratory of Biology and Modeling of the Cell, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, Inserm, UCBL, Lyon, France.
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24
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Quantifying Intracellular Particle Flows by DIC Object Tracking. Biophys J 2021; 120:393-401. [PMID: 33359170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Label-free imaging techniques such as differential interference contrast (DIC) allow the observation of cells and large subcellular structures in their native, unperturbed states with minimal exposure to light. The development of robust computational image-analysis routines is vital to quantitative label-free imaging. The reliability of quantitative analysis of time-series microscopy data based on single-particle tracking relies on accurately detecting objects as distinct from the background, i.e., segmentation. Typical approaches to segmenting DIC images either involve converting images to those resembling phase contrast, mimicking the optics of DIC object formation, or using the morphological properties of objects. Here, we describe MATLAB based, single-particle tracking tool with a GUI for mobility analysis of objects from in vitro and in vivo DIC time-series microscopy. The tool integrates contrast enhancement with multiple modified Gaussian filters, automated threshold detection for segmentation and minimal distance-based two-dimensional single-particle tracking. We compare the relative performance of multiple filters and demonstrate the utility of the tool for DIC object tracking (DICOT). We quantify subcellular dynamics of a time series of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos in the one-celled stage by detecting birefringent yolk granules in the cytoplasm with high precision. The resulting two-dimensional map of oscillatory dynamics of granules quantifies the cytoplasmic flows driven by anaphasic spindle oscillations. The frequency of oscillations across the anterior-posterior (A-P) and transverse axes of the embryo correspond well with the reported frequency of spindle oscillations. We validate the quantitative accuracy of our method by tracking the in vitro diffusive mobility of micron-sized beads in glycerol solutions. Estimates of the diffusion coefficients of the granules are used to measure the viscosity of a dilution series of glycerol. Thus, our computational method is likely to be useful for both intracellular mobility and in vitro microrheology.
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Fourel G, Boscheron C. Tubulin mutations in neurodevelopmental disorders as a tool to decipher microtubule function. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:3409-3438. [PMID: 33064843 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are a group of severe brain malformations associated with intellectual disability and refractory childhood epilepsy. Human missense heterozygous mutations in the 9 α-tubulin and 10 β-tubulin isoforms forming the heterodimers that assemble into microtubules (MTs) were found to cause MCDs. However, how a single mutated residue in a given tubulin isoform can perturb the entire microtubule population in a neuronal cell remains a crucial question. Here, we examined 85 MCD-associated tubulin mutations occurring in TUBA1A, TUBB2, and TUBB3 and their location in a three-dimensional (3D) microtubule cylinder. Mutations hitting residues exposed on the outer microtubule surface are likely to alter microtubule association with partners, while alteration of intradimer contacts may impair dimer stability and straightness. Other types of mutations are predicted to alter interdimer and lateral contacts, which are responsible for microtubule cohesion, rigidity, and dynamics. MCD-associated tubulin mutations surprisingly fall into all categories, thus providing unexpected insights into how a single mutation may impair microtubule function and elicit dominant effects in neurons.
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Danlasky BM, Panzica MT, McNally KP, Vargas E, Bailey C, Li W, Gong T, Fishman ES, Jiang X, McNally FJ. Evidence for anaphase pulling forces during C. elegans meiosis. J Cell Biol 2020; 219:211469. [PMID: 33064834 PMCID: PMC7577052 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202005179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaphase chromosome movement is thought to be mediated by pulling forces generated by end-on attachment of microtubules to the outer face of kinetochores. However, it has been suggested that during C. elegans female meiosis, anaphase is mediated by a kinetochore-independent pushing mechanism with microtubules only attached to the inner face of segregating chromosomes. We found that the kinetochore proteins KNL-1 and KNL-3 are required for preanaphase chromosome stretching, suggesting a role in pulling forces. In the absence of KNL-1,3, pairs of homologous chromosomes did not separate and did not move toward a spindle pole. Instead, each homolog pair moved together with the same spindle pole during anaphase B spindle elongation. Two masses of chromatin thus ended up at opposite spindle poles, giving the appearance of successful anaphase.
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A Pushing Mechanism for Microtubule Aster Positioning in a Large Cell Type. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108213. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Tsata V, Beis D. In Full Force. Mechanotransduction and Morphogenesis during Homeostasis and Tissue Regeneration. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2020; 7:jcdd7040040. [PMID: 33019569 PMCID: PMC7711708 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd7040040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions of form and function have been the focus of numerous studies in the context of development and more recently regeneration. Our understanding on how cells, tissues and organs sense and interpret external cues, such as mechanical forces, is becoming deeper as novel techniques in imaging are applied and the relevant signaling pathways emerge. These cellular responses can be found from bacteria to all multicellular organisms such as plants and animals. In this review, we focus on hemodynamic flow and endothelial shear stress during cardiovascular development and regeneration, where the interactions of morphogenesis and proper function are more prominent. In addition, we address the recent literature on the role of extracellular matrix and fibrotic response during tissue repair and regeneration. Finally, we refer to examples where the integration of multi-disciplinary approaches to understand the biomechanics of cellular responses could be utilized in novel medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Tsata
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.B.); Tel.: +3021-0659-7439 (V.T. & D.B.)
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Correspondence: (V.T.); (D.B.); Tel.: +3021-0659-7439 (V.T. & D.B.)
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29
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Khetan N, Athale CA. Aster swarming by symmetry breaking of cortical dynein transport and coupling kinesins. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8554-8564. [PMID: 32840555 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01086c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microtubule (MT) radial arrays or asters establish the internal topology of a cell by interacting with organelles and molecular motors. We proceed to understand the general pattern forming potential of aster-motor systems using a computational model of multiple MT asters interacting with motors in cellular confinement. In this model dynein motors are attached to the cell cortex and plus-ended motors resembling kinesin-5 diffuse in the cell interior. The introduction of 'noise' in the form of MT length fluctuations spontaneously results in the emergence of coordinated, achiral vortex-like rotation of asters. The coherence and persistence of rotation require a threshold density of both cortical dyneins and coupling kinesins, while the onset is diffusion-limited with relation to the cortical dynein mobility. The coordinated rotational motion emerges due to the resolution of a 'tug-of-war' of multiple cortical dynein motors bound to MTs of the same aster by 'noise' in the form of MT dynamic instability. This transient symmetry breaking is amplified by local coupling by kinesin-5 complexes. The lack of widespread aster rotation across cell types suggests that biophysical mechanisms that suppress such intrinsic dynamics may have evolved. This model is analogous to more general models of locally coupled self-propelled particles (SPP) that spontaneously undergo collective transport in the presence of 'noise' that have been invoked to explain swarming in birds and fish. However, the aster-motor system is distinct from SPP models with regard to the particle density and 'noise' dependence, providing a set of experimentally testable predictions for a novel sub-cellular pattern forming system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Khetan
- Div. of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India.
| | - Chaitanya A Athale
- Div. of Biology, IISER Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411008, India.
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Farhadifar R, Yu CH, Fabig G, Wu HY, Stein DB, Rockman M, Müller-Reichert T, Shelley MJ, Needleman DJ. Stoichiometric interactions explain spindle dynamics and scaling across 100 million years of nematode evolution. eLife 2020; 9:e55877. [PMID: 32966209 PMCID: PMC7511230 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The spindle shows remarkable diversity, and changes in an integrated fashion, as cells vary over evolution. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for variations in the first mitotic spindle in nematodes. We used a combination of quantitative genetics and biophysics to rule out broad classes of models of the regulation of spindle length and dynamics, and to establish the importance of a balance of cortical pulling forces acting in different directions. These experiments led us to construct a model of cortical pulling forces in which the stoichiometric interactions of microtubules and force generators (each force generator can bind only one microtubule), is key to explaining the dynamics of spindle positioning and elongation, and spindle final length and scaling with cell size. This model accounts for variations in all the spindle traits we studied here, both within species and across nematode species spanning over 100 million years of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Farhadifar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Che-Hang Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav CarusDresdenGermany
| | - Hai-Yin Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - David B Stein
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Matthew Rockman
- Department of Biology and Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Michael J Shelley
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Courant Institute, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Daniel J Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron InstituteNew YorkUnited States
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Spatio-temporal correlations between catastrophe events in a microtubule bundle: a computational study. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2020; 49:215-222. [PMID: 32157375 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-020-01427-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We explore correlations between dynamics of different microtubules in a bundle, via numerical simulations, using a one-dimensional stochastic model of a microtubule. The guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-bound tubulins undergo diffusion-limited binding to the tip. Random hydrolysis events take place along the microtubule and converts the bound GTP in tubulin to guanosine diphosphate (GDP). The microtubule starts depolymerising when the monomer at the tip becomes GDP-bound; in this case, detachment of GDP-tubulin ensues and continues until either GTP-bound tubulin is exposed or complete depolymerisation is achieved. In the latter case, the microtubule is defined to have undergone a "catastrophe". Our results show that, in general, the dynamics of growth and catastrophe in different microtubules are coupled to each other; the closer the microtubules are, the stronger the coupling. In particular, all microtubules grow slower, on average, when brought closer together. The reduction in growth velocity also leads to more frequent catastrophes. More dramatically, catastrophe events in the different microtubules forming a bundle are found to be correlated; a catastrophe event in one microtubule is more likely to be followed by a similar event in the same microtubule. This propensity of bunching disappears when the microtubules move farther apart.
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32
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Meaders JL, Burgess DR. Microtubule-Based Mechanisms of Pronuclear Positioning. Cells 2020; 9:E505. [PMID: 32102180 PMCID: PMC7072840 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The zygote is defined as a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes. Union of haploid male and female pronuclei in many animals occurs through rearrangements of the microtubule cytoskeleton into a radial array of microtubules known as the sperm aster. The sperm aster nucleates from paternally-derived centrioles attached to the male pronucleus after fertilization. Nematode, echinoderm, and amphibian eggs have proven as invaluable models to investigate the biophysical principles for how the sperm aster unites male and female pronuclei with precise spatial and temporal regulation. In this review, we compare these model organisms, discussing the dynamics of sperm aster formation and the different force generating mechanism for sperm aster and pronuclear migration. Finally, we provide new mechanistic insights for how sperm aster growth may influence sperm aster positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Burgess
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
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Ge S, Li J, Huang D, Cai Y, Fang J, Jiang H, Hu B. Strong static magnetic field delayed the early development of zebrafish. Open Biol 2019; 9:190137. [PMID: 31662097 PMCID: PMC6833226 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.190137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the major topics in magnetobiology is the biological effects of strong static magnetic field (SMF) on living organisms. However, there has been a paucity of the comprehensive study of the long-term effects of strong SMF on an animal's development. Here, we explored this question with zebrafish, an excellent model organism for developmental study. In our research, zebrafish eggs, just after fertilization, were exposed to a 9.0 T SMF for 24 h, the critical period of post-fertilization development from cleavage to segmentation. The effects of strong SMF exposure on the following developmental progress of zebrafish were studied until 6 days post-fertilization (dpf). Results showed that 9.0 T SMF exposure did not influence the survival or the general developmental scenario of zebrafish embryos. However, it slowed down the developmental pace of the whole animal, and the late developers would catch up with their control peers after the SMF was removed. We proposed a mechanical model and deduced that the development delaying effect was caused by the interference of SMF in microtubule and spindle positioning during mitosis, especially in early cleavages. Our research data provide insights into how strong SMF influences the developing organisms through basic physical interactions with intracellular macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuchao Ge
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingchen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Dengfeng Huang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Cai
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Fang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei, Anhui 230031, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyuan Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Hu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
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34
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Vargas E, McNally KP, Cortes DB, Panzica MT, Danlasky BM, Li Q, Maddox AS, McNally FJ. Spherical spindle shape promotes perpendicular cortical orientation by preventing isometric cortical pulling on both spindle poles during C. elegans female meiosis. Development 2019; 146:dev.178863. [PMID: 31575646 DOI: 10.1242/dev.178863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic spindles are positioned perpendicular to the oocyte cortex to facilitate segregation of chromosomes into a large egg and a tiny polar body. In C. elegans, spindles are initially ellipsoid and parallel to the cortex before shortening to a near-spherical shape with flattened poles and then rotating to the perpendicular orientation by dynein-driven cortical pulling. The mechanistic connection between spindle shape and rotation has remained elusive. Here, we have used three different genetic backgrounds to manipulate spindle shape without eliminating dynein-dependent movement or dynein localization. Ellipsoid spindles with flattened or pointed poles became trapped in either a diagonal or a parallel orientation. Mathematical models that recapitulated the shape dependence of rotation indicated that the lower viscous drag experienced by spherical spindles prevented recapture of the cortex by astral microtubules emanating from the pole pivoting away from the cortex. In addition, maximizing contact between pole dynein and cortical dynein stabilizes flattened poles in a perpendicular orientation, and spindle rigidity prevents spindle bending that can lock both poles at the cortex. Spindle shape can thus promote perpendicular orientation by three distinct mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Vargas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen P McNally
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Daniel B Cortes
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Michelle T Panzica
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Brennan M Danlasky
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Qianyan Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Amy Shaub Maddox
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Francis J McNally
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Vukušić K, Buđa R, Tolić IM. Force-generating mechanisms of anaphase in human cells. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:132/18/jcs231985. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.231985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
What forces drive chromosome segregation remains one of the most challenging questions in cell division. Even though the duration of anaphase is short, it is of utmost importance for genome fidelity that no mistakes are made. Seminal studies in model organisms have revealed different mechanisms operating during chromosome segregation in anaphase, but the translation of these mechanisms to human cells is not straightforward. Recent work has shown that kinetochore fiber depolymerization during anaphase A is largely motor independent, whereas spindle elongation during anaphase B is coupled to sliding of interpolar microtubules in human cells. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge on the mechanisms of force generation by kinetochore, interpolar and astral microtubules. By combining results from numerous studies, we propose a comprehensive picture of the role of individual force-producing and -regulating proteins. Finally, by linking key concepts of anaphase to most recent data, we summarize the contribution of all proposed mechanisms to chromosome segregation and argue that sliding of interpolar microtubules and depolymerization at the kinetochore are the main drivers of chromosome segregation during early anaphase in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kruno Vukušić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Renata Buđa
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iva M. Tolić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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36
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Li J, Cheng L, Jiang H. Cell shape and intercellular adhesion regulate mitotic spindle orientation. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:2458-2468. [PMID: 31411941 PMCID: PMC6743358 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-04-0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division orientation plays an essential role in tissue morphogenesis and cell fate decision. Recent studies showed that either cell shape or adhesion geometry can regulate the orientation of mitotic spindles and thereby the cell division orientation. However, how they together regulate the spindle orientation remains largely unclear. In this work, we use a general computational model to investigate the competitive mechanism of determining the spindle orientation between cell shape and intercellular adhesion in epithelial cells. We find the spindle orientation is dominated by the intercellular adhesion when the cell shape anisotropy is small, but dominated by the cell shape when the shape anisotropy is large. A strong adhesion and moderate adhesive size can ensure the planar division of epithelial cells with large apico-basal elongation. We also find the spindle orientation could be perpendicular to the adhesive region when only one side of the cell is adhered to an E-cadherin-coated matrix. But after the cell is compressed, the spindle orientation is governed by the cell shape and the spindle will be parallel to the adhesive region when the cell shape anisotropy is large. Finally, we demonstrate the competition between cell shape and tricellular junctions can also effectively regulate the spindle orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingchen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Longcan Cheng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Hongyuan Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale, Department of Modern Mechanics, CAS Center for Excellence in Complex System Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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37
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Gujar MR, Stricker AM, Lundquist EA. RHO-1 and the Rho GEF RHGF-1 interact with UNC-6/Netrin signaling to regulate growth cone protrusion and microtubule organization in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007960. [PMID: 31233487 PMCID: PMC6611649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
UNC-6/Netrin is a conserved axon guidance cue that directs growth cone migrations in the dorsal-ventral axis of C. elegans and in the vertebrate spinal cord. UNC-6/Netrin is expressed in ventral cells, and growth cones migrate ventrally toward or dorsally away from UNC-6/Netrin. Recent studies of growth cone behavior during outgrowth in vivo in C. elegans have led to a polarity/protrusion model in directed growth cone migration away from UNC-6/Netrin. In this model, UNC-6/Netrin first polarizes the growth cone via the UNC-5 receptor, leading to dorsally biased protrusion and F-actin accumulation. UNC-6/Netrin then regulates protrusion based on this polarity. The receptor UNC-40/DCC drives protrusion dorsally, away from the UNC-6/Netrin source, and the UNC-5 receptor inhibits protrusion ventrally, near the UNC-6/Netrin source, resulting in dorsal migration. UNC-5 inhibits protrusion in part by excluding microtubules from the growth cone, which are pro-protrusive. Here we report that the RHO-1/RhoA GTPase and its activator GEF RHGF-1 inhibit growth cone protrusion and MT accumulation in growth cones, similar to UNC-5. However, growth cone polarity of protrusion and F-actin were unaffected by RHO-1 and RHGF-1. Thus, RHO-1 signaling acts specifically as a negative regulator of protrusion and MT accumulation, and not polarity. Genetic interactions are consistent with RHO-1 and RHGF-1 acting with UNC-5, as well as with a parallel pathway, to regulate protrusion. The cytoskeletal interacting molecule UNC-33/CRMP was required for RHO-1 activity to inhibit MT accumulation, suggesting that UNC-33/CRMP might act downstream of RHO-1. In sum, these studies describe a new role of RHO-1 and RHGF-1 in regulation of growth cone protrusion by UNC-6/Netrin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahekta R. Gujar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Aubrie M. Stricker
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Erik A. Lundquist
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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38
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Kiyomitsu T. The cortical force-generating machinery: how cortical spindle-pulling forces are generated. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2019; 60:1-8. [PMID: 30954860 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The cortical force-generating machinery pulls on dynamic plus-ends of astral microtubules to control spindle position and orientation, which underlie division type specification and cellular patterning in many eukaryotic cells. A prior work identified cytoplasmic dynein, a minus-end directed microtubule motor, as a key conserved unit of the cortical force-generating machinery. Here, I summarize recent structural, biophysical, and cell-biological studies that advance our understanding of how dynein is activated and organized at the mitotic cell cortex to generate functional spindle-pulling forces. In addition, I introduce recent findings of dynein-independent or parallel mechanisms for achieving oriented cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Kiyomitsu
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.
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39
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Rodriguez-Garcia R, Chesneau L, Pastezeur S, Roul J, Tramier M, Pécréaux J. The polarity-induced force imbalance in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos is caused by asymmetric binding rates of dynein to the cortex. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:3093-3104. [PMID: 30332325 PMCID: PMC6340208 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-11-0653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During asymmetric cell division, the molecular motor dynein generates cortical pulling forces that position the spindle to reflect polarity and adequately distribute cell fate determinants. In Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, despite a measured anteroposterior force imbalance, antibody staining failed to reveal dynein enrichment at the posterior cortex, suggesting a transient localization there. Dynein accumulates at the microtubule plus ends, in an EBP-2EB-dependent manner. This accumulation, although not transporting dynein, contributes modestly to cortical forces. Most dyneins may instead diffuse to the cortex. Tracking of cortical dynein revealed two motions: one directed and the other diffusive-like, corresponding to force-generating events. Surprisingly, while dynein is not polarized at the plus ends or in the cytoplasm, diffusive-like tracks were more frequently found at the embryo posterior tip, where the forces are higher. This asymmetry depends on GPR-1/2LGN and LIN-5NuMA, which are enriched there. In csnk-1(RNAi) embryos, the inverse distribution of these proteins coincides with an increased frequency of diffusive-like tracks anteriorly. Importantly, dynein cortical residence time is always symmetric. We propose that the dynein-binding rate at the posterior cortex is increased, causing the polarity-reflecting force imbalance. This mechanism of control supplements the regulation of mitotic progression through the nonpolarized dynein detachment rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruddi Rodriguez-Garcia
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Laurent Chesneau
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sylvain Pastezeur
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Julien Roul
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Marc Tramier
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Jacques Pécréaux
- CNRS, Univ Rennes, IGDR (Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes)–UMR 6290, F-35000 Rennes, France
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Bouvrais H, Chesneau L, Pastezeur S, Fairbrass D, Delattre M, Pécréaux J. Microtubule Feedback and LET-99-Dependent Control of Pulling Forces Ensure Robust Spindle Position. Biophys J 2018; 115:2189-2205. [PMID: 30447992 PMCID: PMC6289040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
During asymmetric division of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote, to properly distribute cell fate determinants, the mitotic spindle is asymmetrically localized by a combination of centering and cortical-pulling microtubule-mediated forces, the dynamics of the latter being regulated by mitotic progression. Here, we show a, to our knowledge, novel and additional regulation of these forces by spindle position itself. For that, we observed the onset of transverse spindle oscillations, which reflects the burst of anaphase pulling forces. After delaying anaphase onset, we found that the position at which the spindle starts to oscillate was unchanged compared to control embryos and uncorrelated to anaphase onset. In mapping the cortical microtubule dynamics, we measured a steep increase in microtubule contact density after the posterior centrosome reached the critical position of 70% of embryo length, strongly suggesting the presence of a positional switch for spindle oscillations. Expanding a previous model based on a force-generator temporal control, we implemented this positional switch and observed that the large increase in microtubule density accounted for the pulling force burst. Thus, we propose that the spindle position influences the cortical availability of microtubules on which the active force generators, controlled by cell cycle progression, can pull. Importantly, we found that this positional control relies on the polarity-dependent LET-99 cortical band, the boundary of which could be probed by microtubules. This dual positional and temporal control well accounted for our observation that the oscillation onset position resists changes in cellular geometry and moderate variations in the active force generator number. Finally, our model suggests that spindle position at mitosis end is more sensitive to the polarity factor LET-99, which restricts the region of active force generators to a posterior-most region, than to microtubule number or force generator number/activity. Overall, we show that robustness in spindle positioning originates in cell mechanics rather than biochemical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marie Delattre
- Univ Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Lyon University, Lyon, France
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G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:jdb6040028. [PMID: 30477278 PMCID: PMC6316442 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6040028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many vital processes during C. elegans development, especially the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in embryogenesis, are controlled by complex signaling pathways. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as the four Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are linchpins in regulating and orchestrating several of these mechanisms. However, despite being GPCRs, which usually couple to G proteins, these receptors do not seem to activate classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling cascades. The view on signaling during embryogenesis is further complicated by the fact that heterotrimeric G proteins do play essential roles in cell polarity during embryogenesis, but their activity is modulated in a predominantly GPCR-independent manner via G protein regulators such as GEFs GAPs and GDIs. Further, the triggered downstream effectors are not typical. Only very few GPCR-dependent and G protein-mediated signaling pathways have been unambiguously defined in this context. This unusual and highly intriguing concept of separating GPCR function and G-protein activity, which is not restricted to embryogenesis in C. elegans but can also be found in other organisms, allows for essential and multi-faceted ways of regulating cellular communication and response. Although its relevance cannot be debated, its impact is still poorly discussed, and C. elegans is an ideal model to understand the underlying principles.
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Barui A, Datta P. Biophysical factors in the regulation of asymmetric division of stem cells. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:810-827. [PMID: 30467934 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Barui
- Centre for Healthcare Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Howrah West Bengal 711103 India
| | - Pallab Datta
- Centre for Healthcare Science and TechnologyIndian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Howrah West Bengal 711103 India
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Omer S, Greenberg SR, Lee WL. Cortical dynein pulling mechanism is regulated by differentially targeted attachment molecule Num1. eLife 2018; 7:36745. [PMID: 30084355 PMCID: PMC6080947 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical dynein generates pulling forces via microtubule (MT) end capture-shrinkage and lateral MT sliding mechanisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the dynein attachment molecule Num1 interacts with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria to facilitate spindle positioning across the mother-bud neck, but direct evidence for how these cortical contacts regulate dynein-dependent pulling forces is lacking. We show that loss of Scs2/Scs22, ER tethering proteins, resulted in defective Num1 distribution and loss of dynein-dependent MT sliding, the hallmark of dynein function. Cells lacking Scs2/Scs22 performed spindle positioning via MT end capture-shrinkage mechanism, requiring dynein anchorage to an ER- and mitochondria-independent population of Num1, dynein motor activity, and CAP-Gly domain of dynactin Nip100/p150Glued subunit. Additionally, a CAAX-targeted Num1 rescued loss of lateral patches and MT sliding in the absence of Scs2/Scs22. These results reveal distinct populations of Num1 and underline the importance of their spatial distribution as a critical factor for regulating dynein pulling force. Cells must divide so that organisms can grow, repair damaged tissues or reproduce. Before dividing, a cell creates two identical copies of its genetic information – one for each daughter. A molecular machine known as the mitotic spindle then moves each set of genetic material to where it will be needed when the daughter cells form. For the process to work properly, however, a motor protein known as dynein must correctly position the spindle by pulling it into place from the outskirts of the cell. When a baker’s yeast cell divides, it first forms a ‘bump’, which grows into a bud that will ultimately become another yeast. The spindle needs to be precisely placed at the midpoint between the original cell and the bud, so the genetic material can get into the future daughter cell. To do so, dynein travels to the bud, where a protein called Num1 helps it attach to the periphery and pull the filaments of the mitotic spindle (known as microtubules) to the correct position. Num1 also attaches to other cellular structures in the bud, including one known as the endoplasmic reticulum. It was unclear how this connection changes where dynein is located, and how it can pull on the spindle. To study this, Omer et al. labeled Num1, dynein and microtubules with fluorescent markers so they could be followed in living baker’s yeast using time-lapse microscopy. Mutant yeast strains were also used to disrupt how these proteins associate, which helps to tease out their roles. The experiments show that there are several populations of Num1 in the bud. One associates with the endoplasmic reticulum, and it helps dynein grab the side of a microtubule and make it slide into the bud. The other does not attach to the reticulum, but instead is located at the very tip of the bud. There, it makes dynein capture the end of the microtubule; this destabilizes the filament, which starts to shorten. As the microtubule shrinks, the spindle is pulled closer to the bud’s tip, which aligns it in the right position. The yeast cells thus need Num1 in both locations to fine-tune the pulling activity of dynein, and the spindle’s final positioning. In the human body, not all divisions create two identical cells; for example, the daughters of stem cells can have different fates. This is due to a precise asymmetric division which dynein partly controls. The results by Omer et al. could help to unravel this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safia Omer
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Samuel R Greenberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, United States
| | - Wei-Lih Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, United States
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Control of Growth Cone Polarity, Microtubule Accumulation, and Protrusion by UNC-6/Netrin and Its Receptors in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2018; 210:235-255. [PMID: 30045855 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
UNC-6/Netrin has a conserved role in dorsal-ventral axon guidance, but the cellular events in the growth cone regulated by UNC-6/Netrin signaling during outgrowth are incompletely understood. Previous studies showed that, in growth cones migrating away from UNC-6/Netrin, the receptor UNC-5 regulates growth cone polarity, as observed by polarized F-actin, and limits the extent of growth cone protrusion. It is unclear how UNC-5 inhibits protrusion, and how UNC-40 acts in concert with UNC-5 to regulate polarity and protrusion. New results reported here indicate that UNC-5 normally restricts microtubule (MT) + end accumulation in the growth cone. Tubulin mutant analysis and colchicine treatment suggest that stable MTs are necessary for robust growth cone protrusion. Thus, UNC-5 might inhibit protrusion in part by restricting growth cone MT accumulation. Previous studies showed that the UNC-73/Trio Rac GEF and UNC-33/CRMP act downstream of UNC-5 in protrusion. Here, we show that UNC-33/CRMP regulates both growth cone dorsal asymmetric F-actin accumulation and MT accumulation, whereas UNC-73/Trio Rac GEF activity only affects F-actin accumulation. This suggests an MT-independent mechanism used by UNC-5 to inhibit protrusion, possibly by regulating lamellipodial and filopodial actin. Furthermore, we show that UNC-6/Netrin and the receptor UNC-40/DCC are required for excess protrusion in unc-5 mutants, but not for loss of F-actin asymmetry or MT + end accumulation, indicating that UNC-6/Netrin and UNC-40/DCC are required for protrusion downstream of, or in parallel to, F-actin asymmetry and MT + end entry. F-actin accumulation might represent a polarity mark in the growth cone where protrusion will occur, and not protrusive lamellipodial and filopodial actin per se Our data suggest a model in which UNC-6/Netrin first polarizes the growth cone via UNC-5, and then regulates protrusion based upon this polarity (the polarity/protrusion model). UNC-6/Netrin inhibits protrusion ventrally via UNC-5, and stimulates protrusion dorsally via UNC-40, resulting in dorsally-directed migration. The polarity/protrusion model represents a novel conceptual paradigm in which to understand axon guidance and growth cone migration away from UNC-6/Netrin.
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Okumura M, Natsume T, Kanemaki MT, Kiyomitsu T. Dynein-Dynactin-NuMA clusters generate cortical spindle-pulling forces as a multi-arm ensemble. eLife 2018; 7:36559. [PMID: 29848445 PMCID: PMC6037482 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To position the mitotic spindle within the cell, dynamic plus ends of astral microtubules are pulled by membrane-associated cortical force-generating machinery. However, in contrast to the chromosome-bound kinetochore structure, how the diffusion-prone cortical machinery is organized to generate large spindle-pulling forces remains poorly understood. Here, we develop a light-induced reconstitution system in human cells. We find that induced cortical targeting of NuMA, but not dynein, is sufficient for spindle pulling. This spindle-pulling activity requires dynein-dynactin recruitment by NuMA’s N-terminal long arm, dynein-based astral microtubule gliding, and NuMA’s direct microtubule-binding activities. Importantly, we demonstrate that cortical NuMA assembles specialized focal structures that cluster multiple force-generating modules to generate cooperative spindle-pulling forces. This clustering activity of NuMA is required for spindle positioning, but not for spindle-pole focusing. We propose that cortical Dynein-Dynactin-NuMA (DDN) clusters act as the core force-generating machinery that organizes a multi-arm ensemble reminiscent of the kinetochore. Almost every time a cell divides, it must share copies of its genetic material between two new daughter cells. A large molecular machine called the mitotic spindle makes this happen. The spindle is made of protein filaments known as microtubules that radiate out from two points at opposite ends of the cell. Some of these filaments attach to the genetic material in the center of the cell; some extend in the other direction and anchor the spindle to the cell membrane. The anchoring filaments – also known as astral microtubules – can position the mitotic spindle, which controls whether the cell splits straight down the middle (to give two identically sized cells) or off-center (which gives cells of different sizes). The force required to move the spindle comes from complexes of proteins under the cell membrane that contain a molecular motor called dynein, its partner dynactin, and three other proteins – including one called NuMA. The astral microtubules interact with this force-generating machinery, but it was unclear how these proteins are arranged at the membrane. One way to explore interactions in a protein complex is to use a light-induced reconstitution system. This technique involves molecules that will bind together whenever a light shines on them. Fusing these molecules with different proteins means that experimenters can control exactly where, and when, those proteins interact. Okumura et al. have now used a light-induced reconstitution system to understand how the force-generating machinery positions the spindle in human cells. One of the system’s molecules was fused to a protein located at the cell membrane; the other was fused to either the dynein motor or NuMA protein. Using light to move dynein around on the membrane did not move the spindle. Yet, changing the position of NuMA, by moving the light, was enough to rotate the spindle inside the cell. Understanding how these complexes of proteins work increases our understanding of how cells divide. Using the light-induced system to move the spindle could also reveal more about the role of symmetric and asymmetric cell division in organizing tissues. In particular, being able to manipulate the position and size of daughter cells will provide insight into how cell division shapes and maintains tissues during animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Okumura
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Toyoaki Natsume
- Division of Molecular Cell Engineering, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masato T Kanemaki
- Division of Molecular Cell Engineering, National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Shizuoka, Japan.,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kiyomitsu
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO) Program, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
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De Simone A, Spahr A, Busso C, Gönczy P. Uncovering the balance of forces driving microtubule aster migration in C. elegans zygotes. Nat Commun 2018; 9:938. [PMID: 29507295 PMCID: PMC5838244 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03118-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule asters must be positioned precisely within cells. How forces generated by molecular motors such as dynein are integrated in space and time to enable such positioning remains unclear. In particular, whereas aster movements depend on the drag caused by cytoplasm viscosity, in vivo drag measurements are lacking, precluding a thorough understanding of the mechanisms governing aster positioning. Here, we investigate this fundamental question during the migration of asters and pronuclei in C. elegans zygotes, a process essential for the mixing of parental genomes. Detailed quantification of these movements using the female pronucleus as an in vivo probe establish that the drag coefficient of the male-asters complex is approximately five times that of the female pronucleus. Further analysis of embryos lacking cortical dynein, the connection between asters and male pronucleus, or the male pronucleus altogether, uncovers the balance of dynein-driven forces that accurately position microtubule asters in C. elegans zygotes. Microtubule asters are positioned precisely within cells by forces generated by molecular motors, but it is unclear how these are integrated in space and time. Here the authors perform in vivo drag measurements and genetic manipulations to determine the balance of forces that position microtubule asters in C. elegans zygotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A De Simone
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - A Spahr
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C Busso
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - P Gönczy
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Sugioka K, Fielmich LE, Mizumoto K, Bowerman B, van den Heuvel S, Kimura A, Sawa H. Tumor suppressor APC is an attenuator of spindle-pulling forces during C. elegans asymmetric cell division. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E954-E963. [PMID: 29348204 PMCID: PMC5798331 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712052115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor has dual functions in Wnt/β-catenin signaling and accurate chromosome segregation and is frequently mutated in colorectal cancers. Although APC contributes to proper cell division, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that Caenorhabditis elegans APR-1/APC is an attenuator of the pulling forces acting on the mitotic spindle. During asymmetric cell division of the C. elegans zygote, a LIN-5/NuMA protein complex localizes dynein to the cell cortex to generate pulling forces on astral microtubules that position the mitotic spindle. We found that APR-1 localizes to the anterior cell cortex in a Par-aPKC polarity-dependent manner and suppresses anterior centrosome movements. Our combined cell biological and mathematical analyses support the conclusion that cortical APR-1 reduces force generation by stabilizing microtubule plus-ends at the cell cortex. Furthermore, APR-1 functions in coordination with LIN-5 phosphorylation to attenuate spindle-pulling forces. Our results document a physical basis for the attenuation of spindle-pulling force, which may be generally used in asymmetric cell division and, when disrupted, potentially contributes to division defects in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Sugioka
- Multicellular Organization Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 411-8540 Mishima, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, 650-0047 Kobe, Japan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Lars-Eric Fielmich
- Developmental Biology, Biology Department, Science 4 Life, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kota Mizumoto
- RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, 650-0047 Kobe, Japan
| | - Bruce Bowerman
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - Sander van den Heuvel
- Developmental Biology, Biology Department, Science 4 Life, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Akatsuki Kimura
- Cell Architecture Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 411-8540 Mishima, Japan;
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Sokendai, 411-8540 Mishima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sawa
- Multicellular Organization Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 411-8540 Mishima, Japan;
- RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, 650-0047 Kobe, Japan
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Sokendai, 411-8540 Mishima, Japan
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Valfort AC, Launay C, Sémon M, Delattre M. Evolution of mitotic spindle behavior during the first asymmetric embryonic division of nematodes. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005099. [PMID: 29357348 PMCID: PMC5794175 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division is essential to generate cellular diversity. In many animal cells, the cleavage plane lies perpendicular to the mitotic spindle, and it is the spindle positioning that dictates the size of the daughter cells. Although some properties of spindle positioning are conserved between distantly related model species and different cell types, little is known of the evolutionary robustness of the mechanisms underlying this event. We recorded the first embryonic division of 42 species of nematodes closely related to Caenorhabditis elegans, which is an excellent model system to study the biophysical properties of asymmetric spindle positioning. Our recordings, corresponding to 128 strains from 27 Caenorhabditis and 15 non-Caenorhabditis species (accessible at http://www.ens-lyon.fr/LBMC/NematodeCell/videos/), constitute a powerful collection of subcellular phenotypes to study the evolution of various cellular processes across species. In the present work, we analyzed our collection to the study of asymmetric spindle positioning. Although all the strains underwent an asymmetric first cell division, they exhibited large intra- and inter-species variations in the degree of cell asymmetry and in several parameters controlling spindle movement, including spindle oscillation, elongation, and displacement. Notably, these parameters changed frequently during evolution with no apparent directionality in the species phylogeny, with the exception of spindle transverse oscillations, which were an evolutionary innovation at the base of the Caenorhabditis genus. These changes were also unrelated to evolutionary variations in embryo size. Importantly, spindle elongation, displacement, and oscillation each evolved independently. This finding contrasts starkly with expectations based on C. elegans studies and reveals previously unrecognized evolutionary changes in spindle mechanics. Collectively, these data demonstrate that, while the essential process of asymmetric cell division has been conserved over the course of nematode evolution, the underlying spindle movement parameters can combine in various ways. Like other developmental processes, asymmetric cell division is subject to system drift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore-Cécile Valfort
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology (Colin Flaveny lab), Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Caroline Launay
- UnivLyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Lyon University, Lyon, France
| | - Marie Sémon
- UnivLyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Lyon University, Lyon, France
| | - Marie Delattre
- UnivLyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, Laboratory of Biology and Modelling of the Cell, Lyon University, Lyon, France
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Howard J, Garzon-Coral C. Physical Limits on the Precision of Mitotic Spindle Positioning by Microtubule Pushing forces: Mechanics of mitotic spindle positioning. Bioessays 2017; 39:10.1002/bies.201700122. [PMID: 28960439 PMCID: PMC5698852 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Tissues are shaped and patterned by mechanical and chemical processes. A key mechanical process is the positioning of the mitotic spindle, which determines the size and location of the daughter cells within the tissue. Recent force and position-fluctuation measurements indicate that pushing forces, mediated by the polymerization of astral microtubules against- the cell cortex, maintain the mitotic spindle at the cell center in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. The magnitude of the centering forces suggests that the physical limit on the accuracy and precision of this centering mechanism is determined by the number of pushing microtubules rather than by thermally driven fluctuations. In cells that divide asymmetrically, anti-centering, pulling forces generated by cortically located dyneins, in conjunction with microtubule depolymerization, oppose the pushing forces to drive spindle displacements away from the center. Thus, a balance of centering pushing forces and anti-centering pulling forces localize the mitotic spindles within dividing C. elegans cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon Howard
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Carlos Garzon-Coral
- Shriram Center for Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
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50
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Costache V, Hebras C, Pruliere G, Besnardeau L, Failla M, Copley RR, Burgess D, Chenevert J, McDougall A. Kif2 localizes to a subdomain of cortical endoplasmic reticulum that drives asymmetric spindle position. Nat Commun 2017; 8:917. [PMID: 29030551 PMCID: PMC5640700 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01048-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric positioning of the mitotic spindle is a fundamental process responsible for creating sibling cell size asymmetry; however, how the cortex causes the depolymerization of astral microtubules during asymmetric spindle positioning has remained elusive. Early ascidian embryos possess a large cortical subdomain of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that causes asymmetric spindle positioning driving unequal cell division. Here we show that the microtubule depolymerase Kif2 localizes to this subdomain of cortical ER. Rapid live-cell imaging reveals that microtubules are less abundant in the subdomain of cortical ER. Inhibition of Kif2 function prevents the development of mitotic aster asymmetry and spindle pole movement towards the subdomain of cortical ER, whereas locally increasing microtubule depolymerization causes exaggerated asymmetric spindle positioning. This study shows that the microtubule depolymerase Kif2 is localized to a cortical subdomain of endoplasmic reticulum that is involved in asymmetric spindle positioning during unequal cell division. Early ascidian embryos have a cortical subdomain of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that controls asymmetric spindle positioning driving unequal cell division. Here the authors show that the microtubule depolymerase Kif2 is localized to a cortical subdomain of the ER that is involved in asymmetric spindle positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vlad Costache
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - Celine Hebras
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - Gerard Pruliere
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - Lydia Besnardeau
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - Margaux Failla
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - Richard R Copley
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France
| | - David Burgess
- Boston College, Biology Department, 528 Higgins Hall, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 0246, USA
| | - Janet Chenevert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France.
| | - Alex McDougall
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-mer (LBDV), Observatoire Océanologique, Villefranche sur-mer, 06230, France.
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