Growing microtubules push the oocyte nucleus to polarize the Drosophila dorsal-ventral axis

Force-transducing molecular ensembles at growing microtubule tips control mitotic spindle size

Correct mitotic spindle size is required for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. It is controlled by mechanical forces generated by molecular motors and non-motor proteins acting on spindle microtubules. However, how forces generated by individual proteins enable bipolar spindle organization is not well understood. Here, we develop tools to measure contributions of individual molecules to this force balance. We show that microtubule plus-end binding proteins act at microtubule tips synergistically with minus-end directed motors to produce a system that can generate both pushing and pulling forces. To generate pushing force, the system harnesses forces generated by the growing tips of microtubules providing unique contribution to the force balance distinct from all other motors that act in the mitotic spindle. Our results reveal that microtubules are essential force generators for establishing spindle size and pave the way for understanding how mechanical forces can be fine-tuned to control the fidelity of chromosome segregation.

Applying Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Dynamics to Accelerate Drug Development

Cells act as physical computational programs that utilize input signals to orchestrate molecule-level protein-protein interactions (PPIs), generating and responding to forces, ultimately shaping all of the physiological and pathophysiological behaviors. Genome editing and molecule drugs targeting PPIs hold great promise for the treatments of diseases. Linking genes and molecular drugs with protein-performed cellular behaviors is a key yet challenging issue due to the wide range of spatial and temporal scales involved. Building predictive spatiotemporal modeling systems that can describe the dynamic behaviors of cells intervened by genome editing and molecular drugs at the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science will greatly accelerate pharmaceutical advances. Here, we review the mechanical roles of cytoskeletal proteins in orchestrating cellular behaviors alongside significant advancements in biophysical modeling while also addressing the limitations in these models. Then, by integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) with spatiotemporal multiscale biophysical modeling, we propose a computational pipeline for developing virtual cells, which can simulate and evaluate the therapeutic effects of drugs and genome editing technologies on various cell dynamic behaviors and could have broad biomedical applications. Such virtual cell modeling systems might revolutionize modern biomedical engineering by moving most of the painstaking wet-laboratory effort to computer simulations, substantially saving time and alleviating the financial burden for pharmaceutical industries.

The Importance of the Position of the Nucleus in Drosophila Oocyte Development

Oogenesis is a developmental process leading to the formation of an oocyte, a haploid gamete, which upon fertilisation and sperm entry allows the male and the female pronuclei to fuse and give rise to a zygote. In addition to forming a haploid gamete, oogenesis builds up a store of proteins, mRNAs, and organelles in the oocyte needed for the development of the future embryo. In several species, such as Drosophila, the polarity axes determinants of the future embryo must be asymmetrically distributed prior to fertilisation. In the Drosophila oocyte, the correct positioning of the nucleus is essential for establishing the dorsoventral polarity axis of the future embryo and allowing the meiotic spindles to be positioned in close vicinity to the unique sperm entry point into the oocyte.

Measuring and modeling forces generated by microtubules

Tubulins are essential proteins, which are conserved across all eukaryotic species. They polymerize to form microtubules, cytoskeletal components of paramount importance for cellular mechanics. The microtubules combine an extraordinarily high flexural rigidity and a non-equilibrium behavior, manifested in their intermittent assembly and disassembly. These chemically fueled dynamics allow microtubules to generate significant pushing and pulling forces at their ends to reposition intracellular organelles, remodel membranes, bear compressive forces, and transport chromosomes during cell division. In this article, we review classical and recent studies, which have allowed the quantification of microtubule-generated forces. The measurements, to which we owe most of the quantitative information about microtubule forces, were carried out in biochemically reconstituted systems in vitro. We also discuss how mathematical and computational modeling has contributed to the interpretations of these results and shaped our understanding of the mechanisms of force production by tubulin polymerization and depolymerization.

Tubulin Post-Translational Modifications: The Elusive Roles of Acetylation

Microtubules (MTs), dynamic polymers of α/β-tubulin heterodimers found in all eukaryotes, are involved in cytoplasm spatial organization, intracellular transport, cell polarity, migration and division, and in cilia biology. MTs functional diversity depends on the differential expression of distinct tubulin isotypes and is amplified by a vast number of different post-translational modifications (PTMs). The addition/removal of PTMs to α- or β-tubulins is catalyzed by specific enzymes and allows combinatory patterns largely enriching the distinct biochemical and biophysical properties of MTs, creating a code read by distinct proteins, including microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), which allow cellular responses. This review is focused on tubulin-acetylation, whose cellular roles continue to generate debate. We travel through the experimental data pointing to α-tubulin Lys40 acetylation role as being a MT stabilizer and a typical PTM of long lived MTs, to the most recent data, suggesting that Lys40 acetylation enhances MT flexibility and alters the mechanical properties of MTs, preventing MTs from mechanical aging characterized by structural damage. Additionally, we discuss the regulation of tubulin acetyltransferases/desacetylases and their impacts on cell physiology. Finally, we analyze how changes in MT acetylation levels have been found to be a general response to stress and how they are associated with several human pathologies.

The Drosophila mitotic spindle orientation machinery requires activation, not just localization

The orientation of the mitotic spindle at metaphase determines the placement of the daughter cells. Spindle orientation in animals typically relies on an evolutionarily conserved biological machine comprised of at least four proteins - called Pins, Gαi, Mud, and Dynein in flies - that exerts a pulling force on astral microtubules and reels the spindle into alignment. The canonical model for spindle orientation holds that the direction of pulling is determined by asymmetric placement of this machinery at the cell cortex. In most cell types, this placement is thought to be mediated by Pins, and a substantial body of literature is therefore devoted to identifying polarized cues that govern localized cortical enrichment of Pins. In this study we revisit the canonical model and find that it is incomplete. Spindle orientation in the Drosophila follicular epithelium and embryonic ectoderm requires not only Pins localization but also direct interaction between Pins and the multifunctional protein Discs large. This requirement can be over-ridden by interaction with another Pins interacting protein, Inscuteable.

Initial spindle positioning at the oocyte center protects against incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachment and aneuploidy in mice

Spindle positioning within the oocyte must be tightly regulated. In mice, the spindle is predominantly assembled at the oocyte center before its migration toward the cortex to achieve the highly asymmetric division, a characteristic of female meiosis. The significance of the initial central positioning of the spindle is largely unknown. We show that initial spindle positioning at the oocyte center is an insurance mechanism to avoid the premature exposure of the spindle to cortical CDC42 signaling, which perturbs proper kinetochore-microtubule attachments, leading to the formation of aneuploid gametes. These findings contribute to understanding why female gametes are notoriously associated with high rates of aneuploidy, the leading genetic cause of miscarriage and congenital abnormalities.

Polarity and axis formation in the Drosophila female germ line

By the time a Drosophila egg is laid, both major body axes have already been defined and it contains all the nutrients needed to develop into a free-living larva in 24 h. By contrast, it takes almost a week to make an egg from a female germline stem cell, during the complex process of oogenesis. This review will discuss key symmetry-breaking steps in Drosophila oogenesis that lead to the polarisation of both body axes: the asymmetric divisions of the germline stem cells; the selection of the oocyte from the 16-cell germline cyst; the positioning of the oocyte at the posterior of the cyst; Gurken signalling from the oocyte to polarise the anterior-posterior axis of the somatic follicle cell epithelium around the developing germline cyst; the signalling back from the posterior follicle cells to polarise the anterior-posterior axis of the oocyte; and the migration of the oocyte nucleus that specifies the dorsal-ventral axis. Since each event creates the preconditions for the next, I will focus on the mechanisms that drive these symmetry-breaking steps, how they are linked and the outstanding questions that remain to be answered.

Hubbing the Cancer Cell

Oncogenic transformation drives adaptive changes in a growing tumor that affect the cellular organization of cancerous cells, resulting in the loss of specialized cellular functions in the polarized compartmentalization of cells. The resulting altered metabolic and morphological patterns are used clinically as diagnostic markers. This review recapitulates the known functions of actin, microtubules and the γ-tubulin meshwork in orchestrating cell metabolism and functional cellular asymmetry.

Conservation of oocyte development in germline cysts from Drosophila to mouse

Recent studies show that pre-follicular mouse oogenesis takes place in germline cysts, highly conserved groups of oogonial cells connected by intercellular bridges that develop as nurse cells as well as an oocyte. Long studied in Drosophila and insect gametogenesis, female germline cysts acquire cytoskeletal polarity and traffic centrosomes and organelles between nurse cells and the oocyte to form the Balbiani body, a conserved marker of polarity. Mouse oocyte development and nurse cell dumping are supported by dynamic, cell-specific programs of germline gene expression. High levels of perinatal germ cell death in this species primarily result from programmed nurse cell turnover after transfer rather than defective oocyte production. The striking evolutionary conservation of early oogenesis mechanisms between distant animal groups strongly suggests that gametogenesis and early embryonic development in vertebrates and invertebrates share even more in common than currently believed.

Nuclear movement in multinucleated cells

Nuclear movement is crucial for the development of many cell types and organisms. Nuclear movement is highly conserved, indicating its necessity for cellular function and development. In addition to mononucleated cells, there are several examples of cells in which multiple nuclei exist within a shared cytoplasm. These multinucleated cells and syncytia have important functions for development and homeostasis. Here, we review a subset of the developmental contexts in which the regulation of the movement and positioning of multiple nuclei are well understood, including pronuclear migration, the Drosophila syncytial blastoderm, the Caenorhabditis elegans hypodermis, skeletal muscle and filamentous fungi. We apply the principles learned from these models to other systems.

Dynein-dependent collection of membranes defines the architecture and position of microtubule asters in isolated, geometrically confined volumes of cell-free extracts

It is well established that changes in the underlying architecture of the cell's microtubule network can affect organelle organization within the cytoplasm, but it remains unclear whether the spatial arrangement of organelles reciprocally influences the microtubule network. Here we use a combination of cell-free extracts and hydrogel microenclosures to characterize the relationship between membranes and microtubules during microtubule aster centration. We found that initially disperse ER membranes are collected by the aster and compacted near its nucleating center, all while the whole ensemble moves toward the geometric center of its confining enclosure. Once there, aster microtubules adopt a bullseye pattern with a high density annular ring of microtubules surrounding the compacted membrane core of lower microtubule density. Formation of this pattern was inhibited when dynein-dependent transport was perturbed or when membranes were depleted from the extracts. Asters in membrane-depleted extracts were able to move away from the most proximal wall but failed to center in cylindrical enclosures with diameters greater than or equal to 150 µm. Taken as whole, our data suggest that the dynein-dependent transport of membranes buttresses microtubules near the aster center and that this plays an important role in modulating aster architecture and position. [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text] [Media: see text].

Polarity Events in the Drosophila melanogaster Oocyte

Cell polarity is a pre-requirement for many fundamental processes in animal cells, such as asymmetric cell division, axon specification, morphogenesis and epithelial tissue formation. For all these different processes, polarization is established by the same set of proteins, called partitioning defective (Par) proteins. During development in Drosophila melanogaster, decision making on the cellular and organism level is achieved with temporally controlled cell polarization events. The initial polarization of Par proteins occurs as early as in the germline cyst, when one of the 16 cells becomes the oocyte. Another marked event occurs when the anterior–posterior axis of the future organism is defined by Par redistribution in the oocyte, requiring external signaling from somatic cells. Here, we review the current literature on cell polarity events that constitute the oogenesis from the stem cell to the mature egg.

Symmetry breaking in the female germline cyst

In mammals and flies, only one cell in a multicellular female germline cyst becomes an oocyte, but how symmetry is broken to select the oocyte is unknown. Here, we show that the microtubule (MT) minus end-stabilizing protein Patronin/CAMSAP marks the future Drosophila oocyte and is required for oocyte specification. The spectraplakin Shot recruits Patronin to the fusome, a branched structure extending into all cyst cells. Patronin stabilizes more MTs in the cell with the most fusome material. Our data suggest that this weak asymmetry is amplified by Dynein-dependent transport of Patronin-stabilized MTs. This forms a polarized MT network, along which Dynein transports oocyte determinants into the presumptive oocyte. Thus, Patronin amplifies a weak fusome anisotropy to break symmetry and select one cell to become the oocyte.

Regulation of microtubule dynamics, mechanics and function through the growing tip

Microtubule dynamics and their control are essential for the normal function and division of all eukaryotic cells. This plethora of functions is, in large part, supported by dynamic microtubule tips, which can bind to various intracellular targets, generate mechanical forces and couple with actin microfilaments. Here, we review progress in the understanding of microtubule assembly and dynamics, focusing on new information about the structure of microtubule tips. First, we discuss evidence for the widely accepted GTP cap model of microtubule dynamics. Next, we address microtubule dynamic instability in the context of structural information about assembly intermediates at microtubule tips. Three currently discussed models of microtubule assembly and dynamics are reviewed. These are considered in the context of established facts and recent data, which suggest that some long-held views must be re-evaluated. Finally, we review structural observations about the tips of microtubules in cells and describe their implications for understanding the mechanisms of microtubule regulation by associated proteins, by mechanical forces and by microtubule-targeting drugs, prominently including cancer chemotherapeutics.

Modelling Nuclear Morphology and Shape Transformation: A Review

As one of the most important cellular compartments, the nucleus contains genetic materials and separates them from the cytoplasm with the nuclear envelope (NE), a thin membrane that is susceptible to deformations caused by intracellular forces. Interestingly, accumulating evidence has also indicated that the morphology change of NE is tightly related to nuclear mechanotransduction and the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer and Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Theoretically, with the help of well-designed experiments, significant progress has been made in understanding the physical mechanisms behind nuclear shape transformation in different cellular processes as well as its biological implications. Here, we review different continuum-level (i.e., energy minimization, boundary integral and finite element-based) approaches that have been developed to predict the morphology and shape change of the cell nucleus. Essential gradients, relative advantages and limitations of each model will be discussed in detail, with the hope of sparking a greater research interest in this important topic in the future.

The careful control of Polo kinase by APC/C-Ube2C ensures the intercellular transport of germline centrosomes during Drosophila oogenesis

A feature of metazoan reproduction is the elimination of maternal centrosomes from the oocyte. In animals that form syncytial cysts during oogenesis, including Drosophila and human, all centrosomes within the cyst migrate to the oocyte where they are subsequently degenerated. The importance and the underlying mechanism of this event remain unclear. Here, we show that, during early Drosophila oogenesis, control of the Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C), the ubiquitin ligase complex essential for cell cycle control, ensures proper transport of centrosomes into the oocyte through the regulation of Polo/Plk1 kinase, a critical regulator of the integrity and activity of the centrosome. We show that novel mutations in the APC/C-specific E2, Vihar/Ube2c, that affect its inhibitory regulation on APC/C cause precocious Polo degradation and impedes centrosome transport, through destabilization of centrosomes. The failure of centrosome migration correlates with weakened microtubule polarization in the cyst and allows ectopic microtubule nucleation in nurse cells, leading to the loss of oocyte identity. These results suggest a role for centrosome migration in oocyte fate maintenance through the concentration and confinement of microtubule nucleation activity into the oocyte. Considering the conserved roles of APC/C and Polo throughout the animal kingdom, our findings may be translated into other animals.

Optimal RNA binding by Egalitarian, a Dynein cargo adaptor, is critical for maintaining oocyte fate in Drosophila

The Dynein motor is responsible for the localization of numerous mRNAs within Drosophila oocytes and embryos. The RNA binding protein, Egalitarian (Egl), is thought to link these various RNA cargoes with Dynein. Although numerous studies have shown that Egl is able to specifically associate with these RNAs, the nature of these interactions has remained elusive. Egl contains a central RNA binding domain that shares limited homology with an exonuclease, yet Egl binds to RNA without degrading it. Mutations have been identified within Egl that disrupt its association with its protein interaction partners, BicaudalD (BicD) and Dynein light chain (Dlc), but no mutants have been described that are specifically defective for RNA binding. In this report, we identified a series of positively charged residues within Egl that are required for RNA binding. Using corresponding RNA binding mutants, we demonstrate that specific RNA cargoes are more reliant on maximal Egl RNA biding activity for their correct localization in comparison to others. We also demonstrate that specification and maintenance of oocyte fate requires maximal Egl RNA binding activity. Even a subtle reduction in Egl's RNA binding activity completely disrupts this process. Our results show that efficient RNA localization at the earliest stages of oogenesis is required for specification of the oocyte and restriction of meiosis to a single cell.

The coordination of spindle-positioning forces during the asymmetric division of the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote

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.

Interphase microtubules in nuclear organization and genome maintenance

Microtubules are major cytoskeletal components mediating fundamental cellular processes, including cell division. Recent evidence suggests that microtubules also regulate the nucleus during the cell cycle's interphase stage. Deciphering such roles of microtubules should uncover direct crosstalk between the nucleus and cytoplasm, impacting genome function and organismal health. Here, we review emerging roles for microtubules in interphase genome regulation. We explore how microtubules exert cytoplasmic forces on the nucleus or transport molecular cargo, including DNA, into or within the nucleus. We also describe how microtubules perform these functions by establishing transient or stable connections with nuclear envelope elements. Lastly, we discuss how the regulation of the nucleus by microtubules impacts genome organization and repair. Together, the literature indicates that interphase microtubules are critical regulators of nuclear structure and genome stability.

Microtubule-independent movement of the fission yeast nucleus

Movement of the cell nucleus typically involves the cytoskeleton and either polymerization-based pushing forces or motor-based pulling forces. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, nuclear movement and positioning are thought to depend on microtubule polymerization-based pushing forces. Here, we describe a novel, microtubule-independent, form of nuclear movement in fission yeast. Microtubule-independent nuclear movement is directed towards growing cell tips, and it is strongest when the nucleus is close to a growing cell tip, and weakest when the nucleus is far from that tip. Microtubule-independent nuclear movement requires actin cables but does not depend on actin polymerization-based pushing or myosin V-based pulling forces. The vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-associated proteins (VAPs) Scs2 and Scs22, which are critical for endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites in fission yeast, are also required for microtubule-independent nuclear movement. We also find that in cells in which microtubule-based pushing forces are present, disruption of actin cables leads to increased fluctuations in interphase nuclear positioning and subsequent altered septation. Our results suggest two non-exclusive mechanisms for microtubule-independent nuclear movement, which may help illuminate aspects of nuclear positioning in other cells.

Dynamic Microtubule Arrays in Leukocytes and Their Role in Cell Migration and Immune Synapse Formation

The organization of microtubule arrays in immune cells is critically important for a properly operating immune system. Leukocytes are white blood cells of hematopoietic origin, which exert effector functions of innate and adaptive immune responses. During these processes the microtubule cytoskeleton plays a crucial role for establishing cell polarization and directed migration, targeted secretion of vesicles for T cell activation and cellular cytotoxicity as well as the maintenance of cell integrity. Considering this large spectrum of distinct effector functions, leukocytes require flexible microtubule arrays, which timely and spatially reorganize allowing the cells to accommodate their specific tasks. In contrast to other specialized cell types, which typically nucleate microtubule filaments from non-centrosomal microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs), leukocytes mainly utilize centrosomes for sites of microtubule nucleation. Yet, MTOC localization as well as microtubule organization and dynamics are highly plastic in leukocytes thus allowing the cells to adapt to different environmental constraints. Here we summarize our current knowledge on microtubule organization and dynamics during immune processes and how these microtubule arrays affect immune cell effector functions. We particularly highlight emerging concepts of microtubule involvement during maintenance of cell shape and physical coherence.

Two mechanisms drive pronuclear migration in mouse zygotes

A new life begins with the unification of the maternal and paternal chromosomes upon fertilization. The parental chromosomes first become enclosed in two separate pronuclei near the surface of the fertilized egg. The mechanisms that then move the pronuclei inwards for their unification are only poorly understood in mammals. Here, we report two mechanisms that act in concert to unite the parental genomes in fertilized mouse eggs. The male pronucleus assembles within the fertilization cone and is rapidly moved inwards by the flattening cone. Rab11a recruits the actin nucleation factors Spire and Formin-2 into the fertilization cone, where they locally nucleate actin and further accelerate the pronucleus inwards. In parallel, a dynamic network of microtubules assembles that slowly moves the male and female pronuclei towards the cell centre in a dynein-dependent manner. Both mechanisms are partially redundant and act in concert to unite the parental pronuclei in the zygote's centre.

Cytoplasm's Got Moves

Cytoplasm is a gel-like crowded environment composed of various macromolecules, organelles, cytoskeletal networks, and cytosol. The structure of the cytoplasm is highly organized and heterogeneous due to the crowding of its constituents and their effective compartmentalization. In such an environment, the diffusive dynamics of the molecules are restricted, an effect that is further amplified by clustering and anchoring of molecules. Despite the crowded nature of the cytoplasm at the microscopic scale, large-scale reorganization of the cytoplasm is essential for important cellular functions, such as cell division and polarization. How such mesoscale reorganization of the cytoplasm is achieved, especially for large cells such as oocytes or syncytial tissues that can span hundreds of micrometers in size, is only beginning to be understood. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in elucidating the molecular, cellular, and biophysical mechanisms by which the cytoskeleton drives cytoplasmic reorganization across different scales, structures, and species.

Building Relationships: A Role for Innexins in Tissue Formation

The mechanisms that govern cell interactions during organ formation are not fully understood. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Miao et al. demonstrate a channel-independent role for gap junction proteins in the establishment of contacts between three cell types that build up the micropyle during oocyte development in Drosophila.

NineTeen Complex-subunit Salsa is required for efficient splicing of a subset of introns and dorsal-ventral patterning

The NineTeen Complex (NTC), also known as pre-mRNA-processing factor 19 (Prp19) complex, regulates distinct spliceosome conformational changes necessary for splicing. During Drosophila midblastula transition, splicing is particularly sensitive to mutations in NTC-subunit Fandango, which suggests differential requirements of NTC during development. We show that NTC-subunit Salsa, the Drosophila ortholog of human RNA helicase Aquarius, is rate-limiting for splicing of a subset of small first introns during oogenesis, including the first intron of gurken Germline depletion of Salsa and splice site mutations within gurken first intron impair both adult female fertility and oocyte dorsal-ventral patterning, due to an abnormal expression of Gurken. Supporting causality, the fertility and dorsal-ventral patterning defects observed after Salsa depletion could be suppressed by the expression of a gurken construct without its first intron. Altogether, our results suggest that one of the key rate-limiting functions of Salsa during oogenesis is to ensure the correct expression and efficient splicing of the first intron of gurken mRNA. Retention of gurken first intron compromises the function of this gene most likely because it undermines the correct structure and function of the transcript 5'UTR.

Non-Canonical Functions of the Gamma-Tubulin Meshwork in the Regulation of the Nuclear Architecture

Simple Summary

The appearance of a cell is connected to its function. For example, the fusiform of smooth muscle cells is adapted to facilitate muscle contraction, the lobed nucleus in white blood cells assists with the migratory behavior of these immune cells, and the condensed nucleus in sperm aids in their swimming efficiency. Thus, changes in appearance have been used for decades by doctors as a diagnostic method for human cancers. Here, we summarize our knowledge of how a cell maintains the shape of the nuclear compartment. Specifically, we discuss the role of a novel protein meshwork, the gamma-tubulin meshwork, in the regulation of nuclear morphology and as a therapeutic target against cancer.

Abstract

The nuclear architecture describes the organization of the various compartments in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, where a plethora of processes such as nucleocytoplasmic transport, gene expression, and assembly of ribosomal subunits occur in a dynamic manner. During the different phases of the cell cycle, in post-mitotic cells and after oncogenic transformation, rearrangements of the nuclear architecture take place, and, among other things, these alterations result in reorganization of the chromatin and changes in gene expression. A member of the tubulin family, γtubulin, was first identified as part of a multiprotein complex that allows nucleation of microtubules. However, more than a decade ago, γtubulin was also characterized as a nuclear protein that modulates several crucial processes that affect the architecture of the nucleus. This review presents the latest knowledge regarding changes that arise in the nuclear architecture of healthy cells and under pathological conditions and, more specifically, considers the particular involvement of γtubulin in the modulation of the biology of the nuclear compartment.

Integration of Migratory Cells into a New Site In Vivo Requires Channel-Independent Functions of Innexins on Microtubules

During embryonic development and cancer metastasis, migratory cells must establish stable connections with new partners at their destinations. Here, we establish the Drosophila border cells as a model for this multistep process. During oogenesis, border cells delaminate from the follicular epithelium and migrate. When they reach their target, the oocyte, they undergo a stereotypical series of steps to adhere to it, then connect with another migrating epithelium. We identify gap-junction-forming innexin proteins as critical. Surprisingly, the channel function is dispensable. Instead, Innexins 2 and 3 function within the border cells, and Innexin 4 functions within the germline, to regulate microtubules. The microtubule-dependent border cell-oocyte interaction is essential to brace the cells against external morphogenetic forces. Thus, we establish an experimental model and use genetic, thermogenetic, and live-imaging approaches to uncover the contributions of Innexins and microtubules to a cell-biological process important in development and cancer.

The Mechanical Role of Microtubules in Tissue Remodeling

During morphogenesis, tissues undergo extensive remodeling to get their final shape. Such precise sculpting requires the application of forces generated within cells by the cytoskeleton and transmission of these forces through adhesion molecules within and between neighboring cells. Within individual cells, microtubules together with actomyosin filaments and intermediate filaments form the composite cytoskeleton that controls cell mechanics during tissue rearrangements. While studies have established the importance of actin-based mechanical forces that are coupled via intercellular junctions, relatively little is known about the contribution of other cytoskeletal components such as microtubules to cell mechanics during morphogenesis. In this review the focus is on recent findings, highlighting the direct mechanical role of microtubules beyond its well-established role in trafficking and signaling during tissue formation.

Bioelectrical and cytoskeletal patterns correlate with altered axial polarity in the follicular epithelium of the Drosophila mutant gurken

Background

Bioelectrical signals are known to be involved in the generation of cell and tissue polarity as well as in cytoskeletal dynamics. The epithelium of Drosophila ovarian follicles is a suitable model system for studying connections between electrochemical gradients, patterns of cytoskeletal elements and axial polarity. By interactions between soma and germline cells, the transforming growth factor-α homolog Gurken (Grk) establishes both the anteroposterior and the dorsoventral axis during oogenesis.

Results

In the follicular epithelium of the wild-type (wt) and the polarity mutant grk, we analysed stage-specific gradients of membrane potentials (V_mem) and intracellular pH (pH_i) using the potentiometric dye DiBAC₄(3) and the fluorescent pH-indicator 5-CFDA,AM, respectively. In addition, we compared the cytoskeletal organisation in the follicular epithelium of wt and grk using fluorescent phalloidin and an antibody against acetylated α-tubulin. Corresponding to impaired polarity in grk, the slope of the anteroposterior V_mem-gradient in stage S9 is significantly reduced compared to wt. Even more striking differences in V_mem- and pH_i-patterns become obvious during stage S10B, when the respective dorsoventral gradients are established in wt but not in grk. Concurrent with bioelectrical differences, wt and grk exhibit differences concerning cytoskeletal patterns in the follicular epithelium. During all vitellogenic stages, basal microfilaments in grk are characterised by transversal alignment, while wt-typical condensations in centripetal follicle cells (S9) and in dorsal centripetal follicle cells (S10B) are absent. Moreover, in grk, longitudinal alignment of microtubules occurs throughout vitellogenesis in all follicle cells, whereas in wt, microtubules in mainbody and posterior follicle cells exhibit a more cell-autonomous organisation. Therefore, in contrast to wt, the follicular epithelium in grk is characterised by missing or shallower electrochemical gradients and by more coordinated transcellular cytoskeletal patterns.

Conclusions

Our results show that bioelectrical polarity and cytoskeletal polarity are closely linked to axial polarity in both wt and grk. When primary polarity signals are altered, both bioelectrical and cytoskeletal patterns in the follicular epithelium change. We propose that not only cell-specific levels of V_mem and pH_i, or the polarities of transcellular electrochemical gradients, but also the slopes of these gradients are crucial for cytoskeletal modifications and, thus, for proper development of epithelial polarity.

Interplay between morphogen-directed positional information systems and physiological signaling

The development of an organism from an undifferentiated single cell into a spatially complex structure requires spatial patterning of cell fates across tissues. Positional information, proposed by Lewis Wolpert in 1969, has led to the characterization of many components involved in regulating morphogen signaling activity. However, how morphogen gradients are established, maintained, and interpreted by cells still is not fully understood. Quantitative and systems-based approaches are increasingly needed to define general biological design rules that govern positional information systems in developing organisms. This short review highlights a selective set of studies that have investigated the roles of physiological signaling in modulating and mediating morphogen-based pattern formation. Similarities between neural transmission and morphogen-based pattern formation mechanisms suggest underlying shared principles of active cell-based communication. Within larger tissues, neural networks provide directed information, via physiological signaling, that supplements positional information through diffusion. Further, mounting evidence demonstrates that physiological signaling plays a role in ensuring robustness of morphogen-based signaling. We conclude by highlighting several outstanding questions regarding the role of physiological signaling in morphogen-based pattern formation. Elucidating how physiological signaling impacts positional information is critical for understanding the close coupling of developmental and cellular processes in the context of development, disease, and regeneration.

Modulation of Cell-Cell Interactions in Drosophila Oocyte Development

The Drosophila ovary offers a suitable model system to study the mechanisms that orchestrate diverse cellular processes. Oogenesis starts from asymmetric stem cell division, proper differentiation and the production of fully patterned oocytes equipped with all the maternal information required for embryogenesis. Spatial and temporal regulation of cell-cell interaction is particularly important to fulfill accurate biological outcomes at each step of oocyte development. Progress has been made in understanding diverse cell physiological regulation of signaling. Here we review the roles of specialized cellular machinery in cell-cell communication in different stages of oogenesis.

Signaling between somatic follicle cells and the germline patterns the egg and embryo of Drosophila

In Drosophila, specification of the embryonic body axes requires signaling between the germline and the somatic follicle cells. These signaling events are necessary to properly localize embryonic patterning determinants in the egg or eggshell during oogenesis. There are three maternal patterning systems that specify the anterior-posterior axis, and one that establishes the dorsal-ventral axis. We will first review oogenesis, focusing on the establishment of the oocyte and nurse cells and patterning of the follicle cells into different subpopulations. We then describe how two coordinated signaling events between the oocyte and follicle cells establish polarity of the oocyte and localize the anterior determinant bicoid, the posterior determinant oskar, and Gurken/epidermal growth factor (EGF), which breaks symmetry to initiate dorsal-ventral axis establishment. Next, we review how dorsal-ventral asymmetry of the follicle cells is transmitted to the embryo. This process also involves Gurken-EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling between the oocyte and follicle cells, leading to ventrally-restricted expression of the sulfotransferase Pipe. These events promote the ventral processing of Spaetzle, a ligand for Toll, which ultimately sets up the embryonic dorsal-ventral axis. We then describe the activation of the terminal patterning system by specialized polar follicle cells. Finally, we present open questions regarding soma-germline signaling during Drosophila oogenesis required for cell identity and embryonic axis formation.

The Egalitarian binding partners Dynein light chain and Bicaudal-D act sequentially to link mRNA to the Dynein motor

A conserved mechanism of polarity establishment is the localization of mRNA to specific cellular regions. Although it is clear that many mRNAs are transported along microtubules, much less is known about the mechanism by which these mRNAs are linked to microtubule motors. The RNA binding protein Egalitarian (Egl) is necessary for localization of several mRNAs in Drosophila oocytes and embryos. Egl also interacts with Dynein light chain (Dlc) and Bicaudal-D (BicD). The role of Dlc and BicD in mRNA localization has remained elusive. Both proteins are required for oocyte specification, as is Egl. Null alleles in these genes result in an oogenesis block. In this report, we used an shRNA-depletion strategy to overcome the oogenesis block. Our findings reveal that the primary function of Dlc is to promote Egl dimerization. Loss of dimerization compromises the ability of Egl to bind RNA. Consequently, Egl is not bound to cargo, and is not able to efficiently associate with BicD and the Dynein motor. Our results therefore identify the key molecular steps required for assembling a localization-competent mRNP.

Mechanical Function of the Nucleus in Force Generation during Epithelial Morphogenesis

Mechanical forces are critical regulators of cell shape changes and developmental morphogenetic processes. Forces generated along the epithelium apico-basal cell axis have recently emerged as essential for tissue remodeling in three dimensions. Yet the cellular machinery underlying those orthogonal forces remains poorly described. We found that during Drosophila leg folding cells eventually committed to die produce apico-basal forces through the formation of a dynamic actomyosin contractile tether connecting the apical surface to a basally relocalized nucleus. We show that the nucleus is anchored to basal adhesions by a basal F-actin network and constitutes an essential component of the force-producing machinery. Finally, we demonstrate force transmission to the apical surface and the basal nucleus by laser ablation. Thus, this work reveals that the nucleus, in addition to its role in genome protection, actively participates in mechanical force production and connects the contractile actomyosin cytoskeleton to basal adhesions.

Force balances between interphase centrosomes as revealed by laser ablation

Numerous studies have highlighted the self-centering activities of individual microtubule (MT) arrays in animal cells, but relatively few works address the behavior of multiple arrays that coexist in a common cytoplasm. In multinucleated Dictyostelium discoideum cells, each centrosome organizes a radial MT network, and these networks remain separate from one another. This feature offers an opportunity to reveal the mechanism(s) responsible for the positioning of multiple centrosomes. Using a laser microbeam to eliminate one of the two centrosomes in binucleate cells, we show that the unaltered array is rapidly repositioned at the cell center. This result demonstrates that each MT array is constantly subject to centering forces and infers a mechanism to balance the positions of multiple arrays. Our results address the limited actions of three kinesins and a cross-linking MAP that are known to have effects in maintaining MT organization and suggest a simple means used to keep the arrays separated.

Deciphering Nuclear Mechanobiology in Laminopathy

Extracellular mechanical stimuli are translated into biochemical signals inside the cell via mechanotransduction. The nucleus plays a critical role in mechanoregulation, which encompasses mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. The nuclear lamina underlying the inner nuclear membrane not only maintains the structural integrity, but also connects the cytoskeleton to the nuclear envelope. Lamin mutations, therefore, dysregulate the nuclear response, resulting in abnormal mechanoregulations, and ultimately, disease progression. Impaired mechanoregulations even induce malfunction in nuclear positioning, cell migration, mechanosensation, as well as differentiation. To know how to overcome laminopathies, we need to understand the mechanisms of laminopathies in a mechanobiological way. Recently, emerging studies have demonstrated the varying defects from lamin mutation in cellular homeostasis within mechanical surroundings. Therefore, this review summarizes recent findings highlighting the role of lamins, the architecture of nuclear lamina, and their disease relevance in the context of nuclear mechanobiology. We will also provide an overview of the differentiation of cellular mechanics in laminopathy.

The CPEB translational regulator, Orb, functions together with Par proteins to polarize the Drosophila oocyte

orb is a founding member of the CPEB family of translational regulators and is required at multiple steps during Drosophila oogenesis. Previous studies showed that orb is required during mid-oogenesis for the translation of the posterior/germline determinant oskar mRNA and the dorsal-ventral determinant gurken mRNA. Here, we report that orb also functions upstream of these axes determinants in the polarization of the microtubule network (MT). Prior to oskar and gurken translational activation, the oocyte MT network is repolarized. The MT organizing center at the oocyte posterior is disassembled, and a new MT network is established at the oocyte anterior. Repolarization depends upon cross-regulatory interactions between anterior (apical) and posterior (basal) Par proteins. We show that repolarization of the oocyte also requires orb and that orb is needed for the proper functioning of the Par proteins. orb interacts genetically with aPKC and cdc42 and in egg chambers compromised for orb activity, Par-1 and aPKC protein and aPKC mRNA are mislocalized. Moreover, like cdc42-, the defects in Par protein localization appear to be connected to abnormalities in the cortical actin cytoskeleton. These abnormalities also disrupt the localization of the spectraplakin Shot and the microtubule minus-end binding protein Patronin. These two proteins play a critical role in the repolarization of the MT network.

Mechanistic three-dimensional model to study centrosome positioning in the interphase cell

During the interphase in mammalian cells, the position of the centrosome is actively maintained at a small but finite distance away from the nucleus. The perinuclear positioning of the centrosome is crucial for cellular trafficking and progression into mitosis. Although the literature suggests that the contributions of the microtubule-associated forces bring the centrosome to the center of the cell, the position of the centrosome was merely investigated in the absence of the nucleus. Upon performing a coarse-grained simulation study with mathematical analysis, we show that the combined effect of the forces due to the cell cortex and the nucleus facilitate the centrosome positioning. Our study also demonstrates that in the absence of nucleus-based forces, the centrosome collapses on the nucleus due to cortical forces. Depending upon the magnitudes of the cortical forces and the nucleus-based forces, the centrosome appears to stay at various distances away from the nucleus. Such null force regions are found to be stable as well as unstable fixed points. This study uncovers a set of redundant schemes that the cell may adopt to produce the required cortical and nucleus-based forces stabilizing the centrosome at a finite distance away from the nucleus.

A Gene Expression Screen in Drosophila melanogaster Identifies Novel JAK/STAT and EGFR Targets During Oogenesis

The Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways are conserved regulators of tissue patterning, morphogenesis, and other cell biological processes. During Drosophila oogenesis, these pathways determine the fates of epithelial follicle cells (FCs). JAK/STAT and EGFR together specify a population of cells called the posterior follicle cells (PFCs), which signal to the oocyte to establish the embryonic axes. In this study, whole genome expression analysis was performed to identify genes activated by JAK/STAT and/or EGFR. We observed that 317 genes were transcriptionally upregulated in egg chambers with ectopic JAK/STAT and EGFR activity in the FCs. The list was enriched for genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) components and ECM-associated proteins. We tested 69 candidates for a role in axis establishment using RNAi knockdown in the FCs. We report that the signaling protein Semaphorin 1b becomes enriched in the PFCs in response to JAK/STAT and EGFR. We also identified ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif A (AdamTS-A) as a novel target of JAK/STAT in the FCs that regulates egg chamber shape. AdamTS-A mRNA becomes enriched at the anterior and posterior poles of the egg chamber at stages 6 to 7 and is regulated by JAK/STAT. Altering AdamTS-A expression in the poles or middle of the egg chamber produces rounder egg chambers. We propose that AdamTS-A regulates egg shape by remodeling the basement membrane.

A cargo model of yolk syncytial nuclear migration during zebrafish epiboly

In teleost fish, the multinucleate yolk syncytial layer functions as an extra-embryonic signaling center to pattern mesendoderm, coordinate morphogenesis and supply nutrients to the embryo. External yolk syncytial nuclei (e-YSN) undergo microtubule-dependent movements that distribute the nuclei over the large yolk mass. How e-YSN migration proceeds, and the role of the yolk microtubules, is not understood, but it is proposed that e-YSN are pulled vegetally as the microtubule network shortens from the vegetal pole. Live imaging revealed that nuclei migrate along microtubules, consistent with a cargo model in which e-YSN are moved down the microtubules by direct association with motor proteins. We found that blocking the plus-end directed microtubule motor kinesin significantly attenuated yolk nuclear movement. Blocking the outer nuclear membrane LINC complex protein Syne2a also slowed e-YSN movement. We propose that e-YSN movement is mediated by the LINC complex, which functions as the adaptor between yolk nuclei and motor proteins. Our work provides new insights into the role of microtubules in morphogenesis of an extra-embryonic tissue and further contributes to the understanding of nuclear migration mechanisms during development.

Positioning of the Centrosome and Golgi Complex

For over a century, the centrosome has been an organelle more easily tracked than understood, and the study of its peregrinations within the cell remains a chief underpinning of its functional investigation. Increasing attention and new approaches have been brought to bear on mechanisms that control centrosome localization in the context of cleavage plane determination, ciliogenesis, directional migration, and immunological synapse formation, among other cellular and developmental processes. The Golgi complex, often linked with the centrosome, presents a contrasting case of a pleiomorphic organelle for which functional studies advanced somewhat more rapidly than positional tracking. However, Golgi orientation and distribution has emerged as an area of considerable interest with respect to polarized cellular function. This chapter will review our current understanding of the mechanism and significance of the positioning of these organelles.

Assembly and Positioning of the Oocyte Meiotic Spindle

Fertilizable eggs develop from diploid precursor cells termed oocytes. Once every menstrual cycle, an oocyte matures into a fertilizable egg in the ovary. To this end, the oocyte eliminates half of its chromosomes into a small cell termed a polar body. The egg is then released into the Fallopian tube, where it can be fertilized. Upon fertilization, the egg completes the second meiotic division, and the mitotic division of the embryo starts. This review highlights recent work that has shed light on the cytoskeletal structures that drive the meiotic divisions of the oocyte in mammals. In particular, we focus on how mammalian oocytes assemble a microtubule spindle in the absence of centrosomes, how they position the spindle in preparation for polar body extrusion, and how the spindle segregates the chromosomes. We primarily focus on mouse oocytes as a model system but also highlight recent insights from human oocytes.

Subcellular Specialization and Organelle Behavior in Germ Cells

Gametes, eggs and sperm, are the highly specialized cell types on which the development of new life solely depends. Although all cells share essential organelles, such as the ER (endoplasmic reticulum), Golgi, mitochondria, and centrosomes, germ cells display unique regulation and behavior of organelles during gametogenesis. These germ cell-specific functions of organelles serve critical roles in successful gamete production. In this chapter, I will review the behaviors and roles of organelles during germ cell differentiation.

Mechanical principles of nuclear shaping and positioning

Positioning and shaping the nucleus represents a mechanical challenge for the migrating cell because of its large size and resistance to deformation. Cells shape and position the nucleus by transmitting forces from the cytoskeleton onto the nuclear surface. This force transfer can occur through specialized linkages between the nuclear envelope and the cytoskeleton. In response, the nucleus can deform and/or it can move. Nuclear movement will occur when there is a net differential in mechanical force across the nucleus, while nuclear deformation will occur when mechanical forces overcome the mechanical resistance of the various structures that comprise the nucleus. In this perspective, we review current literature on the sources and magnitude of cellular forces exerted on the nucleus, the nuclear envelope proteins involved in transferring cellular forces, and the contribution of different nuclear structural components to the mechanical response of the nucleus to these forces.

Polarized microtubule dynamics directs cell mechanics and coordinates forces during epithelial morphogenesis

Coordinated rearrangements of cytoskeletal structures are the principal source of forces that govern cell and tissue morphogenesis^1,2. However, unlike for actin-based mechanical forces, our knowledge about the contribution of forces originating from other cytoskeletal components remains scarce. Here, we establish microtubules as central components of cell mechanics during tissue morphogenesis. We find that individual cells are mechanically autonomous during early Drosophila wing epithelium development. Each cell contains a polarized apical non-centrosomal microtubule cytoskeleton that bears compressive forces, whereby acute elimination of microtubule-based forces leads to cell shortening. We further establish that the Fat planar cell polarity (Ft-PCP) signalling pathway^3,4 couples microtubules at adherens junctions (AJs) and patterns microtubule-based forces across a tissue via polarized transcellular stability, thus revealing a molecular mechanism bridging single cell and tissue mechanics. Together, these results provide a physical basis to explain how global patterning of microtubules controls cell mechanics to coordinate collective cell behaviour during tissue remodelling. These results also offer alternative paradigms towards the interplay of contractile and protrusive cytoskeletal forces at the single cell and tissue levels.

Centrosomal and Non-Centrosomal Microtubule-Organizing Centers (MTOCs) in Drosophila melanogaster

The centrosome is the best-understood microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) and is essential in particular cell types and at specific stages during Drosophila development. The centrosome is not required zygotically for mitosis or to achieve full animal development. Nevertheless, centrosomes are essential maternally during cleavage cycles in the early embryo, for male meiotic divisions, for efficient division of epithelial cells in the imaginal wing disc, and for cilium/flagellum assembly in sensory neurons and spermatozoa. Importantly, asymmetric and polarized division of stem cells is regulated by centrosomes and by the asymmetric regulation of their microtubule (MT) assembly activity. More recently, the components and functions of a variety of non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing centers (ncMTOCs) have begun to be elucidated. Throughout Drosophila development, a wide variety of unique ncMTOCs form in epithelial and non-epithelial cell types at an assortment of subcellular locations. Some of these cell types also utilize the centrosomal MTOC, while others rely exclusively on ncMTOCs. The impressive variety of ncMTOCs being discovered provides novel insight into the diverse functions of MTOCs in cells and tissues. This review highlights our current knowledge of the composition, assembly, and functional roles of centrosomal and non-centrosomal MTOCs in Drosophila.

Spindle rotation in human cells is reliant on a MARK2-mediated equatorial spindle-centering mechanism

Unlike man-made wheels that are centered and rotated via an axle, the mitotic spindle of a human cell is rotated by external cortical pulling mechanisms. Zulkipli et al. identify MARK2’s role in equatorial spindle centering and astral microtubule length, which in turn control spindle rotation.

The plane of cell division is defined by the final position of the mitotic spindle. The spindle is pulled and rotated to the correct position by cortical dynein. However, it is unclear how the spindle’s rotational center is maintained and what the consequences of an equatorially off centered spindle are in human cells. We analyzed spindle movements in 100s of cells exposed to protein depletions or drug treatments and uncovered a novel role for MARK2 in maintaining the spindle at the cell’s geometric center. Following MARK2 depletion, spindles glide along the cell cortex, leading to a failure in identifying the correct division plane. Surprisingly, spindle off centering in MARK2-depleted cells is not caused by excessive pull by dynein. We show that MARK2 modulates mitotic microtubule growth and length and that codepleting mitotic centromere-associated protein (MCAK), a microtubule destabilizer, rescues spindle off centering in MARK2-depleted cells. Thus, we provide the first insight into a spindle-centering mechanism needed for proper spindle rotation and, in turn, the correct division plane in human cells.