The small GTPase Cdc42 promotes membrane protrusion during polar body emission via ARP2-nucleated actin polymerization

The Role of Mitotic Slippage in Creating a "Female Pregnancy-like System" in a Single Polyploid Giant Cancer Cell

In our recent work, we observed that triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells respond to doxorubicin (DOX) via "mitotic slippage" (MS), discarding cytosolic damaged DNA during the process that provides their resistance to this genotoxic treatment. We also noted two populations of polyploid giant cells: those budding surviving offspring, versus those reaching huge ploidy by repeated MS and persisting for several weeks. Their separate roles in the recovery from treatment remained unclear. The current study was devoted to characterising the origin and relationship of these two sub-populations in the context of MS. MS was hallmarked by the emergence of nuclear YAP1/OCT4A/MOS/EMI2-positivity featuring a soma-germ transition to the meiotic-metaphase-arrested "maternal germ cell". In silico, the link between modules identified in the inflammatory innate immune response to cytosolic DNA and the reproductive module of female pregnancy (upregulating placenta developmental genes) was observed in polyploid giant cells. Asymmetry of the two subnuclei types, one repairing DNA and releasing buds enriched by CDC42/ACTIN/TUBULIN and the other persisting and degrading DNA in a polyploid giant cell, was revealed. We propose that when arrested in MS, a "maternal cancer germ cell" may be parthenogenetically stimulated by the placental proto-oncogene parathyroid-hormone-like-hormone, increasing calcium, thus creating a "female pregnancy-like" system within a single polyploid giant cancer cell.

Inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate receptor is required for spindle assembly in Xenopus oocytes

The extent to which calcium signaling participates in specific events of animal cell meiosis or mitosis is a subject of enduring controversy. We have previously demonstrated that buffering intracellular calcium with 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA, a fast calcium chelator), but not ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EGTA, a slow calcium chelator), rapidly depolymerizes spindle microtubules in Xenopus oocytes, suggesting that spindle assembly and/or stability requires calcium nanodomains-calcium transients at extremely restricted spatial-temporal scales. In this study, we have investigated the function of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP₃R), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium channel, in spindle assembly using Trim21-mediated depletion of IP₃R. Oocytes depleted of IP₃R underwent germinal vesicle breakdown but failed to emit the first polar body and failed to assemble proper meiotic spindles. Further, we developed a cell-free spindle assembly assay in which cytoplasm was aspirated from single oocytes. Spindles assembled in this cell-free system were encased in ER membranes, with IP₃R enriched at the poles, while disruption of either ER organization or calcium signaling resulted in rapid spindle disassembly. As in intact oocytes, formation of spindles in cell-free oocyte extracts also required IP₃R. We conclude that intracellular calcium signaling involving IP₃R-mediated calcium release is required for meiotic spindle assembly in Xenopus oocytes.

A localized calcium transient and polar body abscission

Polar body emission is a special form of cytokinesis in oocyte meiosis that ensures the correct number of chromosomes in reproduction-competent eggs. The molecular mechanism of the last step, polar body abscission, is poorly understood. While it has been proposed that Ca²⁺ signaling plays important roles in embryonic cytokinesis, to date transient increases in intracellular free Ca²⁺ have been difficult to document in oocyte meiosis except for the global Ca²⁺ wave induced by sperm at fertilization. Here, we find that microinjection of the calcium chelator dibromo-BAPTA inhibits polar body abscission in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Using a novel, microtubule-targeted ratio-metric calcium sensor, we detected a calcium transient that is focused at the contractile ring-associated plasma membrane and which occurred after anaphase and constriction of the contractile ring but prior to abscission. This calcium transient was confirmed by mobile calcium probes. Further, the Ca²⁺-sensitive protein kinase Cβ C2 domain transiently translocated to the contractile ring-associated membrane simultaneously with the calcium transient. Collectively, these results demonstrate that a calcium transient, apparently originating at the contractile ring-associated plasma membrane, promotes polar body abscission.

Advances in the study of CDC42 in the female reproductive system

CDC42 is a member of the Rho‐GTPase family and is involved in a variety of cellular functions including regulation of cell cycle progression, constitution of the actin backbone and membrane transport. In particular, CDC42 plays a key role in the establishment of polarity in female vertebrate oocytes, and essential to this major regulatory role is its local occupation of specific regions of the cell to ensure that the contractile ring is assembled at the right time and place to ensure proper gametogenesis. The multifactor controlled ‘inactivation‐activation’ process of CDC42 also allows it to play an important role in the multilevel signalling network, and the synergistic regulation of multiple genes ensures maximum precision during gametogenesis. The purpose of this paper is to review the role of CDC42 in the control of gametogenesis and to explore its related mechanisms, with the aim of further understanding the great research potential of CDC42 in female vertebrate germ cells and its future clinical translation.

Ovarian activation delays in peripubertal ewe lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus can be avoided by supplementing protein in their diets

BACKGROUND

The ewe lamb nutritional and physiological state interfere with the ovarian environment and fertility. The lack or excess of circulating nutrients reaching the ovary can change its gene expression. A protein deficiency in the blood caused by an Haemonchus contortus abomasal infection is detrimental to the organism's development during puberty. The peripubertal period is a time of intensive growth that requires a high level of nutrients. An essential feature controlling pubertal arousal and female reproductive potential is ovarian follicle growth activation. Protein supplementation improves the sheep's immune response to helminthic infections. We aimed to determine if supplementing protein in infected ewe lambs' diet would impact the ovarian environment leading to earlier ovarian follicle activation than in infected not supplemented animals.

METHODS

We fed 18 Santa Ines ewe lambs (Ovis aries) - bred by the same ram - with either 12% protein (Control groups) or 19% protein (Supplemented groups) in their diets. After 35 days of the diet, they were each artificially infected or not with 10,000 Haemonchus contortus L3 larvae. Following 77 days of the diet and 42 days of infection, we surgically collected their left ovaries and examined their genes expression through RNA sequencing.

RESULTS

We found that protein supplementation in infected animals led to an up-regulation of genes (FDR p-values < 0.05) and biological processes (p-value cut-off = 0.01) linked to meiotic activation in pre-ovulatory follicles and primordial follicle activation, among others. The supplemented not infected animals also up-regulated genes and processes linked to meiosis and others, such as circadian behaviour. The not supplemented animals had these same processes down-regulated while up-regulated processes related to tissue morphogenesis, inflammation and immune response.

CONCLUSION

Diet's protein supplementation of peripubertal infected animals allowed them to express genes related to a more mature ovarian follicle stage than their half-sisters that were not supplemented. These results could be modelling potential effects of the interaction between environmental factors, nutrition and infection on reproductive health. When ovarian activation is achieved in a timely fashion, the ewe may generate more lambs during its reproductive life, increasing sheep breeders' productivity.

Paradoxes of cancer: Survival at the brink

The fundamental understanding of how Cancer initiates, persists and then progresses is evolving. High-resolution technologies, including single-cell mutation and gene expression measurements, are now attainable, providing an ever-increasing insight into the molecular details. However, this higher resolution has shown that somatic mutation theory itself cannot explain the extraordinary resistance of cancer to extinction. There is a need for a more Systems-based framework of understanding cancer complexity, which in particular explains the regulation of gene expression during cell-fate decisions. Cancer displays a series of paradoxes. Here we attempt to approach them from the view-point of adaptive exploration of gene regulatory networks at the edge of order and chaos, where cell-fate is changed by oscillations between alternative regulators of cellular senescence and reprogramming operating through self-organisation. On this background, the role of polyploidy in accessing the phylogenetically pre-programmed "oncofetal attractor" state, related to unicellularity, and the de-selection of unsuitable variants at the brink of cell survival is highlighted. The concepts of the embryological and atavistic theory of cancer, cancer cell "life-cycle", and cancer aneuploidy paradox are dissected under this lense. Finally, we challenge researchers to consider that cancer "defects" are mostly the adaptation tools of survival programs that have arisen during evolution and are intrinsic of cancer. Recognition of these features should help in the development of more successful anti-cancer treatments.

Role of PB1 Midbody Remnant Creating Tethered Polar Bodies during Meiosis II

Polar body (PB) formation is an extreme form of unequal cell division that occurs in oocytes due to the eccentric position of the small meiotic spindle near the oocyte cortex. Prior to PB formation, a chromatin-centered process causes the cortex overlying the meiotic chromosomes to become polarized. This polarized cortical subdomain marks the site where a cortical protrusion or outpocket forms at the oocyte surface creating the future PBs. Using ascidians, we observed that PB1 becomes tethered to the fertilized egg via PB2, indicating that the site of PB1 cytokinesis directed the precise site for PB2 emission. We therefore studied whether the midbody remnant left behind following PB1 emission was involved, together with the egg chromatin, in defining the precise cortical site for PB2 emission. During outpocketing of PB2 in ascidians, we discovered that a small structure around 1 µm in diameter protruded from the cortical outpocket that will form the future PB2, which we define as the “polar corps”. As emission of PB2 progressed, this small polar corps became localized between PB2 and PB1 and appeared to link PB2 to PB1. We tested the hypothesis that this small polar corps on the surface of the forming PB2 outpocket was the midbody remnant from the previous round of PB1 cytokinesis. We had previously discovered that Plk1::Ven labeled midbody remnants in ascidian embryos. We therefore used Plk1::Ven to follow the dynamics of the PB1 midbody remnant during meiosis II. Plk1::Ven strongly labeled the small polar corps that formed on the surface of the cortical outpocket that created PB2. Following emission of PB2, this polar corps was rich in Plk1::Ven and linked PB2 to PB1. By labelling actin (with TRITC-Phalloidin) we also demonstrated that actin accumulates at the midbody remnant and also forms a cortical cap around the midbody remnant in meiosis II that prefigured the precise site of cortical outpocketing during PB2 emission. Phalloidin staining of actin and immunolabelling of anti-phospho aPKC during meiosis II in fertilized eggs that had PB1 removed suggested that the midbody remnant remained within the fertilized egg following emission of PB1. Dynamic imaging of microtubules labelled with Ens::3GFP, MAP7::GFP or EB3::3GFP showed that one pole of the second meiotic spindle was located near the midbody remnant while the other pole rotated away from the cortex during outpocketing. Finally, we report that failure of the second meiotic spindle to rotate can lead to the formation of two cortical outpockets at anaphase II, one above each set of chromatids. It is not known whether the midbody remnant of PB1 is involved in directing the precise location of PB2 since our data are correlative in ascidians. However, a review of the literature indicates that PB1 is tethered to the egg surface via PB2 in several species including members of the cnidarians, lophotrochozoa and echinoids, suggesting that the midbody remnant formed during PB1 emission may be involved in directing the precise site of PB2 emission throughout the invertebrates.

Rac and Arp2/3-Nucleated Actin Networks Antagonize Rho During Mitotic and Meiotic Cleavages

In motile cells, the activities of the different Rho family GTPases are spatially segregated within the cell, and during cytokinesis there is evidence that this may also be the case. But while Rho’s role as the central organizer for contractile ring assembly is well established, the role of Rac and the branched actin networks it promotes is less well understood. To characterize the contributions of these proteins during cytokinesis, we manipulated Rac and Arp2/3 activity during mitosis and meiosis in sea urchin embryos and sea star oocytes. While neither Rac nor Arp2/3 were essential for early embryonic divisions, loss of either Rac or Arp2/3 activity resulted in polar body defects. Expression of activated Rac resulted in cytokinesis failure as early as the first division, and in oocytes, activated Rac suppressed both the Rho wave that traverses the oocyte prior to polar body extrusion as well as polar body formation itself. However, the inhibitory effect of Rac on cytokinesis, polar body formation and the Rho wave could be suppressed by effector-binding mutations or direct inhibition of Arp2/3. Together, these results suggest that Rac- and Arp2/3 mediated actin networks may directly antagonize Rho signaling, thus providing a potential mechanism to explain why Arp2/3-nucleated branched actin networks must be suppressed at the cell equator for successful cytokinesis.

"Mitotic Slippage" and Extranuclear DNA in Cancer Chemoresistance: A Focus on Telomeres

Mitotic slippage (MS), the incomplete mitosis that results in a doubled genome in interphase, is a typical response of TP53-mutant tumors resistant to genotoxic therapy. These polyploidized cells display premature senescence and sort the damaged DNA into the cytoplasm. In this study, we explored MS in the MDA-MB-231 cell line treated with doxorubicin (DOX). We found selective release into the cytoplasm of telomere fragments enriched in telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), telomere capping protein TRF2, and DNA double-strand breaks marked by γH2AX, in association with ubiquitin-binding protein SQSTM1/p62. This occurs along with the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) and DNA repair by homologous recombination (HR) in the nuclear promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. The cells in repeated MS cycles activate meiotic genes and display holocentric chromosomes characteristic for inverted meiosis (IM). These giant cells acquire an amoeboid phenotype and finally bud the depolyploidized progeny, restarting the mitotic cycling. We suggest the reversible conversion of the telomerase-driven telomere maintenance into ALT coupled with IM at the sub-telomere breakage sites introduced by meiotic nuclease SPO11. All three MS mechanisms converging at telomeres recapitulate the amoeba-like agamic life-cycle, decreasing the mutagenic load and enabling the recovery of recombined, reduced progeny for return into the mitotic cycle.

The cytoskeletal motor proteins Dynein and MyoV direct apical transport of Crumbs

Crumbs (Crb in Drosophila; CRB1-3 in mammals) is a transmembrane determinant of epithelial cell polarity and a regulator of Hippo signalling. Crb is normally localized to apical cell-cell contacts, just above adherens junctions, but how apical trafficking of Crb is regulated in epithelial cells remains unclear. We use the Drosophila follicular epithelium to demonstrate that polarized trafficking of Crb is mediated by transport along microtubules by the motor protein Dynein and along actin filaments by the motor protein Myosin-V (MyoV). Blocking transport of Crb-containing vesicles by Dynein or MyoV leads to accumulation of Crb within Rab11 endosomes, rather than apical delivery. The final steps of Crb delivery and stabilisation at the plasma membrane requires the exocyst complex and three apical FERM domain proteins - Merlin, Moesin and Expanded - whose simultaneous loss disrupts apical localization of Crb. Accordingly, a knock-in deletion of the Crb FERM-binding motif (FBM) also impairs apical localization. Finally, overexpression of Crb challenges this system, creating a sensitized background to identify components involved in cytoskeletal polarization, apical membrane trafficking and stabilisation of Crb at the apical domain.

Cytoskeletal polarization and cytokinetic signaling drives polar lobe formation in spiralian embryos

In many spiralians, asymmetry in the first two cleavages is achieved through the formation of a polar lobe (PL), which transiently constricts to sequester vegetal cytoplasm into the CD and D blastomeres. While microtubules and actin filaments are required for polar lobe formation, little else is known regarding the structural and functional similarities with the contractile ring, or how the PL constriction is able to form perpendicular to the cleavage plane. Examination of scallop embryos revealed that while activated myosin II could be detected in both the cleavage furrow and early PL constriction, astral or central spindle microtubules were not observed associated with the PL neck until the constriction was nearly complete. Further, inhibition of Aurora B had no effect on polar lobe initiation, but blocked both contractile ring ingression and PL constriction beyond phase II. The cortex destined for PL sequestration was marked by enrichment of the Arp2/3 complex, which was first detected during meiosis and remained enriched at the vegetal pole through the first two cleavages. Inhibition of Arp2/3 affected PL formation and partitioning of cytoplasm into the two daughter cells, suggesting that Arp2/3 plays a functional role in defining the zone of cortex to be sequestered into the polar lobe. Together, these data offer for the first time a mechanism by which a cytoskeletal specialization defines the polar lobe in this atypical form of asymmetric cell division.

Cytoplasmic flows in starfish oocytes are fully determined by cortical contractions

Cytoplasmic flows are an ubiquitous feature of biological systems, in particular in large cells, such as oocytes and eggs in early animal development. Here we show that cytoplasmic flows in starfish oocytes, which can be imaged well with transmission light microscopy, are fully determined by the cortical dynamics during surface contraction waves. We first show that the dynamics of the oocyte surface is highly symmetric around the animal-vegetal axis. We then mathematically solve the Stokes equation for flows inside a deforming sphere using the measured surface displacements as boundary conditions. Our theoretical predictions agree very well with the intracellular flows quantified by particle image velocimetry, proving that during this stage the starfish cytoplasm behaves as a simple Newtonian fluid on the micrometer scale. We calculate the pressure field inside the oocyte and find that its gradient is too small as to explain polar body extrusion, in contrast to earlier suggestions. Myosin II inhibition by blebbistatin confirms this conclusion, because it diminishes cell shape changes and hydrodynamic flow, but does not abolish polar body formation.

As already noted by Aristotle, life is motion. On the molecular scale, thermal motion leads to diffusive transport. On cellular scales, however, diffusion starts to become inefficient, due to the general property of random walks that their spatial excursions grow less than linear with time. Therefore more directed transport processes are needed on cellular scales, including transport by molecular motors or by hydrodynamic flows. This is especially true for oocytes and eggs in early animal development, which often have to be large in order to store sufficient amounts of nutrients. Here we use starfish oocytes as a convenient model system to investigate the nature and function of cytoplasmic flows in early development. These cells are very large and optically transparent, and therefore ideal for live cell imaging that here we combine with image processing and mathematical modelling. This approach allows us to demonstrate that the experimentally observed cytoplasmic flows during early development are a direct consequence of surface contraction waves that deform the soft and contractile eggs. Additionally we show that despite its microscopic complexity, the cytoplasm behaves like a Newtonian fluid on the cellular scale. Our findings impose strong physical limits on the potential biological function of these flows and suggest that also other cellular systems that are soft and contractile might experience large cytoplasmic flows upon cell shape changes, for example during cell migration or division.

Journey of oocyte from metaphase-I to metaphase-II stage in mammals

In mammals, journey from metaphase-I (M-I) to metaphase-II (M-II) is important since oocyte extrude first polar body (PB-I) and gets converted into haploid gamete. The molecular and cellular changes associated with meiotic cell cycle progression from M-I to M-II stage and extrusion of PB-I remain ill understood. Several factors drive oocyte meiosis from M-I to M-II stage. The mitogen-activated protein kinase3/1 (MAPK3/1), signal molecules and Rho family GTPases act through various pathways to drive cell cycle progression from M-I to M-II stage. The down regulation of MOS/MEK/MAPK3/1 pathway results in the activation of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). The active APC/C destabilizes maturation promoting factor (MPF) and induces meiotic resumption. Several signal molecules such as, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK2), SENP3, mitotic kinesin-like protein 2 (MKlp2), regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS2), Epsin2, polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) are directly or indirectly involved in chromosomal segregation. Rho family GTPase is another enzyme that along with cell division cycle (Cdc42) to form actomyosin contractile ring required for chromosomal segregation. In the presence of origin recognition complex (ORC4), eccentrically localized haploid set of chromosomes trigger cortex differentiation and determine the division site for polar body formation. The actomyosin contractile activity at the site of division plane helps to form cytokinetic furrow that results in the formation and extrusion of PB-I. Indeed, oocyte journey from M-I to M-II stage is coordinated by several factors and pathways that enable oocyte to extrude PB-I. Quality of oocyte directly impact fertilization rate, early embryonic development, and reproductive outcome in mammals.

The small GTPase RhoA regulates the LIMK1/2-cofilin pathway to modulate cytoskeletal dynamics in oocyte meiosis

LIM kinases (LIMK1/2) are LIM domain-containing serine/threonine/tyrosine kinases that mediate multiple cellular processes in mitosis. In the present study, we explored the functional roles and potential signaling pathway of LIMK1/2 during mouse oocyte meiosis. Disruption of LIMK1/2 activity and expression significantly decreased oocyte polar body extrusion. Live-cell imaging revealed that spindle migration was disturbed after both LIMK1 and LIMK2 knock down, and this might be due to aberrant distribution of actin filaments in the oocyte cytoplasm and cortex. Meanwhile, our results demonstrated that the function of LIMK1 and LIMK2 in actin assembly was related to cofilin phosphorylation levels. In addition, disruption of LIMK1/2 activity significantly increased the percentage of oocytes with abnormal spindle morphologies, which was confirmed by the abnormal p-MAPK localization. We further, explored the upstream molecules of LIMK1/2, and we found that after depletion of ROCK, phosphorylation of LIMK1/2 and cofilin were significantly decreased. Moreover, RhoA inhibition caused the decreased expression of ROCK, p-LIMK1/2, and cofilin. In summary, our results indicated that the small GTPase RhoA regulated LIMK1/2-cofilin to modulate cytoskeletal dynamics during mouse oocyte meiosis.

CAP1 mediated actin cycling via ADF/cofilin is essential for asymmetric division in mouse oocytes

Dynamic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton is fundamental to a number of cellular events, and various actin-regulatory proteins modulate actin polymerization and depolymerization. Cyclase-associated proteins (CAPs), highly conserved actin monomer-binding proteins, have been known to promote actin disassembly by enhancing the actin-severing activity of ADF/cofilin. In this study, we found that CAP1 regulated actin remodeling during mouse oocyte maturation. Efficient actin disassembly during oocyte maturation is essential for asymmetric division and cytokinesis. CAP1 knockdown impaired meiotic spindle migration and asymmetric division, and it resulted in an accumulation of excessive actin filaments near the spindles. In contrast, CAP1 overexpression reduced actin mesh levels. CAP1 knockdown also rescued the decrease in cofilin overexpression-mediated actin levels, and simultaneous expression of human CAP1 (hCAP1) and cofilin synergistically decreased cytoplasmic actin levels. Overexpression of hCAP1 decreased the amount of phosphorylated cofilin, indicating that CAP1 facilitated actin depolymerization via interaction with ADF/cofilin during mouse oocyte maturation. Taken together, our results provide evidence of the importance of dynamic actin recycling by CAP1 and cofilin in the asymmetric division of mouse female gametes.

The small GTPase CDC42 regulates actin dynamics during porcine oocyte maturation

The mammalian oocyte undergoes an asymmetric division during meiotic maturation, producing a small polar body and a haploid gamete. This process involves the dynamics of actin filaments, and the guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) protein superfamily is a major regulator of actin assembly. In the present study, the small GTPase CDC42 was shown to participate in the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes. Immunofluorescent staining showed that CDC42 was mainly localized at the periphery of the oocytes, and accumulated with microtubules. Deactivation of CDC42 protein activity with the effective inhibitor ML141 caused a decrease in actin distribution in the cortex, which resulted in a failure of polar body extrusion. Moreover, western blot analysis revealed that besides the Cdc42-N-WASP pathway previously reported in mouse oocytes, the expression of ROCK and p-cofilin, two molecules involved in actin dynamics, was also decreased after CDC42 inhibition during porcine oocyte maturation. Thus, our study demonstrates that CDC42 is an indispensable protein during porcine oocyte meiosis, and CDC42 may interact with N-WASP, ROCK, and cofilin in the assembly of actin filaments during porcine oocyte maturation.

Interaction of the Small GTPase Cdc42 with Arginine Kinase Restricts White Spot Syndrome Virus in Shrimp

Many types of small GTPases are widely expressed in eukaryotes and have different functions. As a crucial member of the Rho GTPase family, Cdc42 serves a number of functions, such as regulating cell growth, migration, and cell movement. Several RNA viruses employ Cdc42-hijacking tactics in their target cell entry processes. However, the function of Cdc42 in shrimp antiviral immunity is not clear. In this study, we identified a Cdc42 protein in the kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) and named it MjCdc42. MjCdc42 was upregulated in shrimp challenged by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The knockdown of MjCdc42 and injection of Cdc42 inhibitors increased the proliferation of WSSV. Further experiments determined that MjCdc42 interacted with an arginine kinase (MjAK). By analyzing the binding activity and enzyme activity of MjAK and its mutant, ΔMjAK, we found that MjAK could enhance the replication of WSSV in shrimp. MjAK interacted with the envelope protein VP26 of WSSV. An inhibitor of AK activity, quercetin, could impair the function of MjAK in WSSV replication. Further study demonstrated that the binding of MjCdc42 and MjAK depends on Cys²⁷¹ of MjAK and suppresses the WSSV replication-promoting effect of MjAK. By interacting with the active site of MjAK and suppressing its enzyme activity, MjCdc42 inhibits WSSV replication in shrimp. Our results demonstrate a new function of Cdc42 in the cellular defense against viral infection in addition to the regulation of actin and phagocytosis, which has been reported in previous studies. IMPORTANCE The interaction of Cdc42 with arginine kinase plays a crucial role in the host defense against WSSV infection. This study identifies a new mechanism of Cdc42 in innate immunity and enriches the knowledge of the antiviral innate immunity of invertebrates.

Spindle function in Xenopus oocytes involves possible nanodomain calcium signaling

Injection of dibromo-BAPTA caused immediate collapse of meiotic spindles in frog oocytes. In contrast, EGTA had no effect on the spindle or polar body emission. The disruption of spindle integrity by the fast but not slow calcium chelators suggests that meiotic spindle function in the oocytes involves nanodomain calcium signaling.

Intracellular calcium transients are a universal phenomenon at fertilization and are required for egg activation, but the exact role of Ca²⁺ in second-polar-body emission remains unknown. On the other hand, similar calcium transients have not been demonstrated during oocyte maturation, and yet, manipulating intracellular calcium levels interferes with first-polar-body emission in mice and frogs. To determine the precise role of calcium signaling in polar body formation, we used live-cell imaging coupled with temporally precise intracellular calcium buffering. We found that BAPTA-based calcium chelators cause immediate depolymerization of spindle microtubules in meiosis I and meiosis II. Surprisingly, EGTA at similar or higher intracellular concentrations had no effect on spindle function or polar body emission. Using two calcium probes containing permutated GFP and the calcium sensor calmodulin (Lck-GCaMP3 and GCaMP3), we demonstrated enrichment of the probes at the spindle but failed to detect calcium increase during oocyte maturation at the spindle or elsewhere. Finally, endogenous calmodulin was found to colocalize with spindle microtubules throughout all stages of meiosis. Our results—most important, the different sensitivities of the spindle to BAPTA and EGTA—suggest that meiotic spindle function in frog oocytes requires highly localized, or nanodomain, calcium signaling.

Unique spatiotemporal activation pattern of Cdc42 by Gef1 and Scd1 promotes different events during cytokinesis

The Rho-family GTPase Cdc42 regulates cell polarity and localizes to the cell division site. Cdc42 is activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). We report that Cdc42 promotes cytokinesis via a unique spatiotemporal activation pattern due to the distinct action of its GEFs, Gef1 and Scd1, in fission yeast. Before cytokinetic ring constriction, Cdc42 activation, is Gef1 dependent, and after ring constriction, it is Scd1 dependent. Gef1 localizes to the actomyosin ring immediately after ring assembly and promotes timely onset of ring constriction. Gef1 is required for proper actin organization during cytokinesis, distribution of type V myosin Myo52 to the division site, and timely recruitment of septum protein Bgs1. In contrast, Scd1 localizes to the broader region of ingressing membrane during cytokinetic furrowing. Scd1 promotes normal septum formation, andscd1Δcells display aberrant septa with reduced Bgs1 localization. Thus we define unique roles of the GEFs Gef1 and Scd1 in the regulation of distinct events during cytokinesis. Gef1 localizes first to the cytokinetic ring and promotes timely constriction, whereas Scd1 localizes later to the ingressing membrane and promotes septum formation. Our findings are consistent with reports that complexity in GTPase signaling patterns enables exquisite precision over the control of cellular processes.

Small GTPase RhoA regulates cytoskeleton dynamics during porcine oocyte maturation and early embryo development

Mammalian oocyte maturation is distinguished by asymmetric division that is regulated primarily by cytoskeleton, including microtubules and microfilaments. Small Rho GTPase RhoA is a key regulator of cytoskeletal organization which regulates cell polarity, migration, and division. In this study, we investigated the roles of RhoA in mammalian oocyte meiosis and early embryo cleavage. (1) Disrupting RhoA activity or knock down the expression of RhoA caused the failure of polar body emission. This may have been due to decreased actin assembly and subsequent spindle migration defects. The involvement of RhoA in this process may have been though its regulation of actin nucleators ROCK, p-Cofilin, and ARP2 expression. (2) In addition, spindle morphology was also disrupted and p-MAPK expression decreased in RhoA inhibited or RhoA KD oocytes, which indicated that RhoA also regulated MAPK phosphorylation for spindle formation. (3) Porcine embryo development was also suppressed by inhibiting RhoA activity. Two nuclei were observed in one blastomere, and actin expression was reduced, which indicated that RhoA regulated actin-based cytokinesis of porcine embryo. Thus, our results demonstrated indispensable roles for RhoA in regulating porcine oocyte meiosis and cleavage during early embryo development.

Formin mDia1, a downstream molecule of FMNL1, regulates Profilin1 for actin assembly and spindle organization during mouse oocyte meiosis

Mammalian diaphanous1 (mDia1) is a homologue of Drosophila diaphanous and belongs to the Formin-homology family of proteins that catalyze actin nucleation and polymerization. Although Formin family proteins, such as Drosophila diaphanous, have been shown to be essential for cytokinesis, whether and how mDia1 functions during meiosis remain uncertain. In this study, we explored possible roles and the signaling pathway involved for mDia1 using a mouse oocyte model. mDia1 depletion reduced polar body extrusion, which may have been due to reduced cortical actin assembly. mDia1 and Profilin1 had similar localization patterns in mouse oocytes and mDia1 knockdown resulted in reduced Profilin1 expression. Depleting FMNL1, another Formin family member, resulted in reduced mDia1 expression, while RhoA inhibition did not alter mDia1 expression, which indicated that there was a FMNL1-mDia1-Profilin1 signaling pathway in mouse oocytes. Additionally, mDia1 knockdown resulted in disrupting oocyte spindle morphology, which was confirmed by aberrant p-MAPK localization. Thus, these results demonstrated indispensable roles for mDia1 in regulating mouse oocyte meiotic maturation through its effects on actin assembly and spindle organization.

Actin-capping proteins play essential roles in the asymmetric division of maturing mouse oocytes

Actin polymerization is essential for various stages of mammalian oocyte maturation, including spindle migration, actin cap formation, polar body extrusion and cytokinesis. The heterodimeric actin-capping protein is an essential element of the actin cytoskeleton. It binds to the fast-growing (barbed) ends of actin filaments and plays essential roles in various actin-mediated cellular processes. However, the roles of capping protein in mammalian oocyte maturation are poorly understood. We investigated the roles of capping protein in mouse oocytes and found that it is essential for correct asymmetric spindle migration and polar body extrusion. Capping protein mainly localized in the cytoplasm during maturation. By knocking down or ectopically overexpressing this protein, we revealed that it is crucial for efficient spindle migration and maintenance of the cytoplasmic actin mesh density. Expression of the capping-protein-binding region of CARMIL (also known as LRRC16A) impaired spindle migration and polar body extrusion during oocyte maturation and decreased the density of the cytoplasmic actin mesh. Taken together, these findings show that capping protein is an essential component of the actin cytoskeleton machinery that plays crucial roles in oocyte maturation, presumably by controlling the cytoplasmic actin mesh density.

Contributions of the actin cytoskeleton to the emergence of polarity during maturation in human oocytes

In mature mammalian oocytes, cortical f-actin distribution is polarized, as evidenced by a prominent cap subtended by the metaphase II (MII) spindle. Formation of a polarized actin cap is a consequence of a complex actomyosin-driven contractile process that directs polar body extrusion. Human mature oocytes also display a network of suboolemmal actin, but so far there has been no suggestion of an actin-rich domain in the vicinity of the spindle. By high-resolution confocal microscopy, we generated semi-quantitative data of the actin cytoskeleton in human mature and immature oocytes, with the aim to better understand the characteristics and remodelling of this cytoskeletal component in the female gamete. In mature MII oocytes, the cortical domain near the spindle showed a more intense actin signal in comparison to the opposite cortical domain (177.2±59.0 versus 126.8±61.0, P<0.0001; data expressed in arbitrary units). The extent of cortical f-actin polarity was comparable between in vivo and in vitro matured oocytes. However, both the degree of polarity and relative abundance of signal were diminished with increasing maternal age. Mean intensity of cytoplasmic actin was significantly higher in oocytes matured in vitro derived from in vitro maturation (IVM) cycle, in comparison to oocytes matured in vivo or in vitro obtained from controlled ovarian stimulation cycles (35.0±8.0, 21.1±12.4 and 25.9±8.6, respectively; P=0.025). In germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes obtained from both IVM and controlled ovarian stimulation cycles, cortical actin did not appear polarized, irrespective of whether the GV was located centrally or asymmetrically. These data indicate that, during maturation, cortical actin acquires a polarized distribution involving an accumulation in the domain adjacent the spindle. They also propose new questions concerning the existence of cytoplasmic actin in mature oocytes. Finally, they are suggestive of an influence of maternal age on the actin cytoskeleton.

Specific deletion of Cdc42 does not affect meiotic spindle organization/migration and homologous chromosome segregation but disrupts polarity establishment and cytokinesis in mouse oocytes

Oocyte-specific deletion of Cdc42 has little effect on meiotic spindle organization and migration to the cortex but inhibits polar body emission, although homologous chromosome segregation occurs. The failure of cytokinesis is due to loss of polarized Arp2/3 accumulation and actin cap formation, and thus the defective contract ring.

Mammalian oocyte maturation is distinguished by highly asymmetric meiotic divisions during which a haploid female gamete is produced and almost all the cytoplasm is maintained in the egg for embryo development. Actin-dependent meiosis I spindle positioning to the cortex induces the formation of a polarized actin cap and oocyte polarity, and it determines asymmetric divisions resulting in two polar bodies. Here we investigate the functions of Cdc42 in oocyte meiotic maturation by oocyte-specific deletion of Cdc42 through Cre-loxP conditional knockout technology. We find that Cdc42 deletion causes female infertility in mice. Cdc42 deletion has little effect on meiotic spindle organization and migration to the cortex but inhibits polar body emission, although homologous chromosome segregation occurs. The failure of cytokinesis is due to the loss of polarized Arp2/3 accumulation and actin cap formation; thus the defective contract ring. In addition, we correlate active Cdc42 dynamics with its function during polar body emission and find a relationship between Cdc42 and polarity, as well as polar body emission, in mouse oocytes.

Molecular mechanisms of asymmetric division in oocytes

In contrast to symmetric division in mitosis, mammalian oocyte maturation is characterized by asymmetric cell division that produces a large egg and a small polar body. The asymmetry results from oocyte polarization, which includes spindle positioning, migration, and cortical reorganization, and this process is critical for fertilization and the retention of maternal components for early embryo development. Although actin dynamics are involved in this process, the molecular mechanism underlying this remained unclear until the use of confocal microscopy and live cell imaging became widespread in recent years. Information obtained through a PubMed database search of all articles published in English between 2000 and 2012 that included the phrases "oocyte, actin, spindle migration," "oocyte, actin, polar body," or "oocyte, actin, asymmetric division" was reviewed. The actin nucleation factor actin-related protein 2/3 complex and its nucleation-promoting factors, formins and Spire, and regulators such as small GTPases, partitioning-defective/protein kinase C, Fyn, microRNAs, cis-Golgi apparatus components, myosin/myosin light-chain kinase, spindle stability regulators, and spindle assembly checkpoint regulators, play critical roles in asymmetric cell division in oocytes. This review summarizes recent findings on these actin-related regulators in mammalian oocyte asymmetric division and outlines a complete signaling pathway.

The nuclear F-actin interactome of Xenopus oocytes reveals an actin-bundling kinesin that is essential for meiotic cytokinesis

Nuclei of Xenopus laevis oocytes grow 100 000-fold larger in volume than a typical somatic nucleus and require an unusual intranuclear F-actin scaffold for mechanical stability. We now developed a method for mapping F-actin interactomes and identified a comprehensive set of F-actin binders from the oocyte nuclei. Unexpectedly, the most prominent interactor was a novel kinesin termed NabKin (Nuclear and meiotic actin-bundling Kinesin). NabKin not only binds microtubules but also F-actin structures, such as the intranuclear actin bundles in prophase and the contractile actomyosin ring during cytokinesis. The interaction between NabKin and F-actin is negatively regulated by Importin-β and is responsive to spatial information provided by RanGTP. Disconnecting NabKin from F-actin during meiosis caused cytokinesis failure and egg polyploidy. We also found actin-bundling activity in Nabkin's somatic paralogue KIF14, which was previously shown to be essential for somatic cell division. Our data are consistent with the notion that NabKin/KIF14 directly link microtubules with F-actin and that such link is essential for cytokinesis.

The presence and role of actin filaments in cell nuclei remains incompletely understood. A proteomics approach now reveals a highly distinct set of F-actin-binding proteins in the nucleus, including a novel kinesin family member.

Xenopus oocyte meiosis lacks spindle assembly checkpoint control

In contrast to the situation in mammalian oocytes, the metaphase-to-anaphase transition in frog oocytes is not regulated by a spindle assembly checkpoint.

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) functions as a surveillance mechanism to detect chromosome misalignment and to delay anaphase until the errors are corrected. The SAC is thought to control mitosis and meiosis, including meiosis in mammalian eggs. However, it remains unknown if meiosis in the eggs of nonmammalian vertebrate species is also regulated by SAC. Using a novel karyotyping technique, we demonstrate that complete disruption of spindle microtubules in Xenopus laevis oocytes did not affect the bivalent-to-dyad transition at the time oocytes are undergoing anaphase I. These oocytes also acquired the ability to respond to parthenogenetic activation, which indicates proper metaphase II arrest. Similarly, oocytes exhibiting monopolar spindles, via inhibition of aurora B or Eg5 kinesin, underwent monopolar anaphase on time and without additional intervention. Therefore, the metaphase-to-anaphase transition in frog oocytes is not regulated by SAC.

Rho GTPases in animal cell cytokinesis: an occupation by the one percent

Rho GTPases are molecular switches that elicit distinct effects on the actomyosin cytoskeleton to accurately promote cytokinesis. Although they represent less than 1% of the human genome, Rho GTPases exert disproportionate control over cell division. Crucial to this master regulatory role is their localized occupation of specific domains of the cell to ensure the assembly of a contractile ring at the proper time and place. RhoA occupies the division plane and is the central positive Rho family regulator of cytokinesis. Rac1 is a negative regulator of cytokinesis and is inactivated within the division plane while active Rac1 occupies the cell poles. Cdc42 regulation during cytokinesis is less studied, but thus far a clear role has only been shown during polar body emission. Here we review what is known about the function of Rho family GTPases during cell division, as well as their upstream regulators and known downstream cytokinetic effectors.

Polar body cytokinesis

Polar body cytokinesis is the physical separation of a small polar body from a larger oocyte or ovum. This maternal meiotic division shares many similarities with mitotic and spermatogenic cytokinesis, but there are several distinctions, which will be discussed in this review. We synthesize results from many different model species, including those popular for their genetics and several that are more obscure in modern cell biology. The site of polar body division is determined before anaphase, by the eccentric, cortically associated meiotic spindle. Depending on the species, either the actin or microtubule cytoskeleton is required for spindle anchoring. Chromatin is necessary and sufficient to elicit differentiation of the associated cortex, via Ran-based signaling. The midzone of the anaphase spindle serves as a hub for regulatory complexes that elicit Rho activation, and ultimately actomyosin contractile ring assembly and contraction. Polar body cytokinesis uniquely requires another Rho family GTPase, Cdc42, for dynamic reorganization of the polar cortex. This is perhaps due to the considerable asymmetry of this division, wherein the polar body and the oocyte/ovum have distinct fates and very different sizes. Thus, maternal meiotic cytokinesis appears to occur via simultaneous polar relaxation and equatorial contraction, since the polar body is extruded from the spherical oocyte through the nascent contractile ring. As such, polar body cytokinesis is an interesting and important variation on the theme of cell division.

Aurora B regulates spindle bipolarity in meiosis in vertebrate oocytes

Aurora B (Aur-B) plays multiple roles in mitosis, of which the best known are to ensure bi-orientation of sister chromatids by destabilizing incorrectly attached kinetochore microtubules and to participate in cytokinesis. Studies in Xenopus egg extracts, however, have indicated that Aur-B and the chromosome passenger complex play an important role in stabilizing chromosome-associated spindle microtubules. Aur-B stabilizes spindle microtubules in the egg extracts by inhibiting the catastrophe kinesin MCAK. Whether or not Aur-B plays a similar role in intact oocytes remains unknown. Here we have employed a dominant-negative Aur-B mutant (Aur-B122R, in which the ATP-binding lysine(122) is replaced with arginine) to investigate the function of Aur-B in spindle assembly in Xenopus oocytes undergoing meiosis. Overexpression of Aur-B122R results in short bipolar spindles or monopolar spindles, with higher concentrations of Aur-B122R producing mostly the latter. Simultaneous inhibition of MCAK translation in oocytes overexpressing Aur-B122R results in suppression of monopolar phenotype, suggesting that Aur-B regulates spindle bipolarity by inhibiting MCAK. Furthermore, recombinant MCAK-4A protein, which lacks all four Aur-B phosphoryaltion sites and is therefore insensitive to Aur-B inhibition but not wild-type MCAK, recapitulated the monopolar phenotype in the oocytes. These results suggest that in vertebrate oocytes that lack centrosomes, one major function of Aur-B is to stabilize chromosome-associated spindle microtubules to ensure spindle bipolarity.

Polar body emission

Generation of a haploid female germ cell, the egg, consists of two rounds of asymmetric cell division (meiosis I and meiosis II), yielding two diminutive and nonviable polar bodies and a large haploid egg. Animal eggs are also unique in the lack of centrioles and therefore form meiotic spindles without the pre-existence of the two dominant microtubule organizing centers (centrosomes) found in mitosis. Meiotic spindle assembly is further complicated by the unique requirement of sister chromatid mono-oriented in meiosis I. Nonetheless, the eggs appear to adopt many of the same proteins and mechanisms described in mitosis, with necessary modifications to accommodate their special needs. Unraveling these special modifications will not only help understanding animal reproduction, but should also enhance our understanding of cell division in general.

Translation of incenp during oocyte maturation is required for embryonic development in Xenopus laevis

The chromosome passenger complex (CPC) consists of Aurora-B kinase and several other subunits. One of these, incenp, binds Aurora-B and regulates its kinase activity. During Xenopus oocyte maturation, incenp accumulates through translation, contributing to aurora-b activation. A previous study has demonstrated that inhibition of incenp translation during oocyte maturation diminishes aurora-b activation but does not interfere with oocyte maturation, characterized by normal maturation-specific cyclin-b phosphorylation, degradation, and resynthesis. Here we have extended these findings, showing that inhibition of incenp translation during oocyte maturation did not interfere with meiosis I or II, as indicated by the normal emission of the first polar body and metaphase II arrest, followed by the successful emission of the second polar body upon parthenogenetic egg activation. Most importantly, however, when transferred to host frogs and subsequently ovulated, the incenp-deficient eggs were fertilized but failed to undergo mitotic cleavage. Thus, translation of incenp during oocyte maturation appears to be part of oocyte cytoplasmic maturation, preparing the egg for the rapid mitosis following fertilization.

Acentrosomal spindle assembly and chromosome segregation during oocyte meiosis

The ability to reproduce relies in most eukaryotes on specialized cells called gametes. Gametes are formed by the process of meiosis in which, after a single round of replication, two successive cell divisions reduce the ploidy of the genome. Fusion of gametes at fertilization reconstitutes diploidy. In most animal species, chromosome segregation during female meiosis occurs on spindles assembled in the absence of the major microtubule-organizing center, the centrosome. In mammals, oocyte meiosis is error prone and underlies most birth aneuploidies. Here, we review recent work on acentrosomal spindle formation and chromosome alignment/separation during oocyte meiosis in different animal models.