Microtubule nucleating activity of centrosomes in cell-free extracts from Xenopus eggs: involvement of phosphorylation and accumulation of pericentriolar material

P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity is required during mitosis for timely satisfaction of the mitotic checkpoint but not for the fidelity of chromosome segregation

We find that in the absence of p38 activity, human cells form longer spindles on which mitotic checkpoint satisfaction is transiently delayed. However, the cells ultimately divide normally. We conclude that normal p38 activity is required for the timely attachment of kinetochores to the spindle, but not for the fidelity of mitosis.

Although p38 activity is reported to be required as cells enter mitosis for proper spindle assembly and checkpoint function, its role during the division process remains controversial in lieu of direct data. We therefore conducted live cell studies to determine the effect on mitosis of inhibiting or depleting p38. We found that in the absence of p38 activity the duration of mitosis is prolonged by ∼40% in nontransformed human RPE-1, ∼80% in PtK2 (rat kangaroo), and ∼25% in mouse cells, and this prolongation leads to an elevated mitotic index. However, under this condition chromatid segregation and cytokinesis are normal. Using Mad2/YFP-expressing cells, we show the prolongation of mitosis in the absence of p38 activity is directly due to a delay in satisfying the mitotic checkpoint. Inhibiting p38 did not affect the rate of chromosome motion; however, it did lead to the formation of significantly (10%) longer metaphase spindles. From these data we conclude that normal p38 activity is required for the timely stable attachment of all kinetochores to spindle microtubules, but not for the fidelity of the mitotic process. We speculate that p38 activity promotes timely checkpoint satisfaction by indirectly influencing those motor proteins (e.g., Klp10, Klp67A) involved in regulating the dynamics of kinetochore microtubule ends.

Centrosomes and cancer: how cancer cells divide with too many centrosomes

Precise control of centrosome number is crucial for bipolar spindle assembly and accurate transmission of genetic material to daughter cells. Failure to properly control centrosome number results in supernumerary centrosomes, which are frequently found in cancer cells. This presents a paradox: during mitosis, cells with more than two centrosomes are prone to multipolar mitoses and cell death, however, cancer cells possessing extra centrosomes usually divide successfully. One mechanism frequently utilized by cancer cells to escape death caused by multipolar mitoses is the clustering of supernumerary centrosomes into bipolar arrays. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells can suppress multipolar mitoses is beginning to emerge. Here, we review what's currently known about centrosome clustering mechanisms and discuss potential strategies to target these mechanisms for the selective killing of cancer cells.

Abortive second meiosis detected in cytochalasin-treated eggs in androgenetic diploid Corbicula fluminea

The hermaphroditic diploid clam Corbicula fluminea reproduces by androgenesis. In the control (androgenetic development), all maternal chromosomes and maternal centrosomes at the meiotic poles were extruded as two first polar bodies and subsequently second meiosis did not occur. In eggs treated with cytochalasin D (CD) to inhibit the polar body extrusion, the second meiosis was abortive. After the first meiosis, two centrosomes at the spindle poles remained in the cytoplasm because of the effect of CD. The chromosomes divided into two groups at anaphase-I as observed in the control eggs. Two centrosomes divided into four just after the first meiosis but did not separate completely. The microtubules from the centrosomes were rather short. So at the second meiosis, two monoasters or tetrapolar spindles were formed. The fluorescence signal from microtubules of the monoaster or tetrapolar spindle was weak compared with the spindle at the first meiosis. The maternal chromosomes on the monoaster or tetrapolar spindle did not move, and became large female pronuclei. The pronuclei became the metaphase chromosomes on the spindle for the first cleavage. The present study suggests that second meiosis regulating factors may be abortive in androgenetic diploid C. fluminea.

Structure and microtubule-nucleation activity of isolated Drosophila embryo centrosomes characterized by whole mount scanning and transmission electron microscopy

Experimental approaches in Drosophila melanogaster over the last 20 years have played a fundamental role in elucidating the function, structure and molecular composition of the centrosome. However, quantitative data on the structure and function of the Drosophila centrosome are still lacking. This study uses, for the first time, whole mount electron microscopy in combination with negative staining on isolated centrosomes from the early Drosophila embryos to analyze its dimensions, structure and capacity to nucleate microtubules in vitro. We show that these organelles are on average 0.75 microm in diameter and have abundant pericentriolar material which often appears fibrillar and with bulbous protrusions. Corresponding to the abundant pericentriolar material, extensive microtubule nucleation occurs. Quantification of the number of microtubules nucleated showed that 50-300 active nucleation sites are present. We examined via electron microscopy immunogold labeling the distribution of gamma-tubulin, CNN, Asp and the MPM-2 epitopes that are phosphorylated through Polo and the Cdk1 kinase. The distribution of these proteins is homogeneous, with the MPM-2 epitopes exhibiting the highest density. In contrast, centrosomal subdomains are identified using a centriole marker to relate centrosome size to the centriole number by electron microscopy. In conclusion, we present a clear-cut technique assaying and quantifying the microtubule nucleation capacity and antigen distribution complementing molecular studies on centrosome protein complexes, cell organelle assembly and protein composition.

Centrosome-associated Chk1 prevents premature activation of cyclin-B-Cdk1 kinase

Entry into mitosis occurs after activation of Cdk1, resulting in chromosome condensation in the nucleus and centrosome separation, as well as increased microtubule nucleation activity in the cytoplasm. The active cyclin-B1-Cdk1 complex first appears at the centrosome, suggesting that the centrosome may facilitate the activation of mitotic regulators required for the commitment of cells to mitosis. However, the signalling pathways involved in controlling the initial activation of Cdk1 at the centrosome remain largely unknown. Here, we show that human Chk1 kinase localizes to interphase, but not mitotic, centrosomes. Chemical inhibition of Chk1 resulted in premature centrosome separation and activation of centrosome-associated Cdk1. Forced immobilization of kinase-inactive Chk1 to centrosomes also resulted in premature Cdk1 activation. Conversely, under such conditions wild-type Chk1 impaired activation of centrosome-associated Cdk1, thereby resulting in DNA endoreplication and centrosome amplification. Activation of centrosomal Cdk1 in late prophase seemed to be mediated by cytoplasmic Cdc25B, whose activity is controlled by centrosome-associated Chk1. These results suggest that centrosome-associated Chk1 shields centrosomal Cdk1 from unscheduled activation by cytoplasmic Cdc25B, thereby contributing to proper timing of the initial steps of cell division, including mitotic spindle formation.

Centrosome maturation: measurement of microtubule nucleation throughout the cell cycle by using GFP-tagged EB1

Understanding how cells regulate microtubule nucleation during the cell cycle has been limited by the inability to directly observe nucleation from the centrosome. To view nucleation in living cells, we imaged GFP-tagged EB1, a microtubule tip-binding protein, and determined rates of nucleation by counting the number of EB1-GFP comets emerging from the centrosome over time. Nucleation rate increased 4-fold between G(2) and prophase and continued to rise through anaphase and telophase, reaching a maximum of 7 times interphase rates. We tested several models for centrosome maturation, including gamma-tubulin recruitment and increased centrosome size. The centrosomal concentration of gamma-tubulin reached a maximum at metaphase, and centrosome size increased through anaphase, whereas nucleation remained high through telophase, implying the presence of additional regulatory processes. Injection of anti-gamma-tubulin antibodies significantly blocked nucleation during metaphase but was less effective during anaphase, suggesting that a nucleation mechanism independent of gamma-tubulin contributes to centrosome function after metaphase.

Localization of gamma-tubulin and cyclin B during early cleavage in physiologically polyspermic newt eggs

To understand the mechanism of the very slow block to polyspermy in physiologically polyspermic eggs of the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster, we used confocal laser microscopy to determine the distribution of gamma-tubulin and cyclin B1 in fertilized eggs. More gamma-tubulin was localized in the animal hemisphere than in the vegetal. The centrosomes of the principal sperm nucleus and the zygote nucleus had much accumulated gamma-tubulin, but little gamma-tubulin was associated with the centrosomes of the accessory sperm nuclei. These results are consistent with observations that the largest sperm aster is associated with the principal sperm nucleus. More cyclin B1 appeared in the animal hemisphere than in the vegetal at the end of interphase. The zygote nucleus had much accumulated cyclin B1, but little cyclin B1 was associated with the accessory sperm nuclei. Cyclin B1 disappeared earlier around the zygote nucleus at metaphase than around the accessory sperm nuclei. These findings correspond well with the earlier entry and exit into metaphase in the zygote nucleus than in the accessory sperm nuclei in newt eggs, supporting our maturation-promoting factor (MPF) model that accounts for the mechanism of nuclear degeneration in physiologically polyspermic eggs. Cyclin B1 began to accumulate in the nucleus during interphase in synchronous cleavage, and its greatest expression was in the centrosomes and the nucleus at prometaphase.

Protein phosphatase 4 is required for centrosome maturation in mitosis and sperm meiosis inC. elegans

The centrosome consists of two centrioles surrounded by the pericentriolar material (PCM). In late G2 phase, centrosomes enlarge by recruiting extra PCM,and concomitantly its microtubule nucleation activity increases dramatically. The regulatory mechanisms of this dynamic change of centrosomes are not well understood. Protein phosphatase 4 (PP4) is known to localize to mitotic centrosomes in mammals and Drosophila. An involvement of PP4 in the mitotic spindle assembly has been implicated in Drosophila, but in vivo functions of PP4 in other organisms are largely unknown. Here we characterize two Caenorhabditis elegans PP4 genes, named pph-4.1 and pph-4.2. Inhibition of the function of each gene by RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) revealed that PPH-4.1 was essential for embryogenesis but PPH-4.2 was not. More specifically, PPH-4.1 was required for the formation of spindles in mitosis and sperm meiosis. However, this phosphatase was apparently dispensable for female meiotic divisions, which do not depend on centrosomes. In the cell depleted of pph-4.1 activity,localization of γ-tubulin and a Polo-like kinase homologue to the centrosome was severely disturbed. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that PPH-4.1 was present at centrosomes from prophase to telophase, but not during interphase. These results indicate that PPH-4.1 is a centrosomal protein involved in the recruitment of PCM components to the centrosome, and is essential for the activation of microtubule nucleation potential of the centrosome. Furthermore, chiasmata between homologous chromosomes were often absent in oocytes that lacked pph-4.1 activity. Thus, besides promoting spindle formation, PPH-4.1 appears to play a role in either the establishment or the maintenance of chiasmata during meiotic prophase I.

Reconstitution of centrosome microtubule nucleation in Spisula

Evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that gamma-TuRCs are sites for the nucleation of microtubules within the centrosome PCM (Zheng et al., 1995; Moritz et al., 1995a,b). Further, these structures appear to be recruited to the centrosome from cytoplasmic pools during centrosome assembly and centrosome maturation (Moritz et al., 1998; Schnackenberg et al., 1998, 2000; Schnackenberg and Palazzo, 1999; Khodjakov and Rieder, 1999). It has also been shown that the centrosome PCM contains a network of filamentous fibers, which function as a scaffold for binding these microtubule nucleating sites (Schnackenberg et al., 1998). However, binding gamma-tubulin rings to this scaffold requires at least one additional factor (Moritz et al., 1998; Schnackenberg et al., 2000). Because extracts prepared from a variety of biological sources are capable of supporting the recovery of microtubule nucleation by Spisula KICRs (Schnackenberg et al., 2000), the methods outlined in this chapter could prove useful in the search for factors that are necessary for centrosome assembly and the increase in centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation during centrosome maturation.

alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Tubulin polymerization in response to DNA damage

Microtubules provide structural support for a cell and play key roles in cell motility, mitosis, and meiosis. They are also the targets of several anticancer agents, indicating their importance in maintaining cell viability. We have investigated the possibility that alterations in microtubule structure and tubulin polymerization may be part of the cellular response to DNA damage. In this report, we find that gamma-radiation stimulates the production and polymerization of alpha-, beta-, and gamma- tubulin in hematopoeitic cell lines (Ramos, DP16), leading to visible changes in microtubule structures. We have found that this microtubule reorganization can be prevented by caffeine, a drug that concomitantly inhibits DNA damage-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Our results support the idea that microtubule polymerization is an important facet of the mammalian response to DNA damage.

Structural and functional effects of hydrostatic pressure on centrosomes from vertebrate cells

In an attempt to better understand the role of centrioles in vertebrate centrosomes, hydrostatic pressure was applied to isolated centrosomes as a means to disassemble centriole microtubules. Treatments of the centrosomes were monitored by analyzing their protein composition, ultrastructure, their ability to nucleate microtubules from pure tubulin, and their capability to induce parthenogenetic development of Xenopus eggs. Moderate hydrostatic pressure (95 MPa) already affected the organization of centriole microtubules in isolated centrosomes, and also impaired microtubule nucleation. At higher pressure, the protein composition of the peri-centriolar matrix (PCM) was also altered and the capacity to nucleate microtubules severely impaired. Incubation of the treated centrosomes in Xenopus egg extract could restore their capacity to nucleate microtubules after treatment at 95 MPa, but not after higher pressure treatment. However, the centriole structure was in no case restored. It is noteworthy that centrosomes treated with mild pressure did not allow parthenogenetic development after injection into Xenopus eggs, even if they had recovered their capacity to nucleate microtubules. This suggested that, in agreement with previous results, centrosomes in which centriole architecture is impaired, could not direct the biogenesis of new centrioles in Xenopus eggs. Centriole structure could also be affected by applying mild hydrostatic pressure directly to living cells. Comparison of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on cells at the G1/S border or on the corresponding cytoplasts suggests that pro-centrioles are very sensitive to pressure. However, cells can regrow a centriole after pressure-induced disassembly. In that case, centrosomes eventually recover an apparently normal duplication cycle although with some delay.

Centrosome maturation

In the past, centrosome maturation has been described as the change in microtubule nucleation potential that occurs as cells pass through specific phases of the cell cycle. It is suggested that the idea of centrosome maturation be expanded to include gain of functions that are not necessarily related to microtubule nucleation. Some of these functions could be transient and dependent on the temporary association of molecules with the centrosome as cells progress through the cell cycle. Thus, the centrosome may best be viewed as a site for mediating macromolecular interactions, perhaps as a central processing station within the cell. The centromatrix, a relatively stable lattice of polymers within the centrosome's PCM, could serve as a scaffold for the transient binding of mediator molecules, as well as allow the dynamic exchange of centrosome constituents with a soluble cytoplasmic pool. New evidence adds support to the idea that centrioles are crucial for the maintenance of PCM structure. However, significant evidence indicates that aspects of centrosome structure and function can be maintained in the absence of centrioles. In the case of paternal centrosome maturation, sperm centrioles may not contain an associated centromatrix. It is proposed that regulation of paternal centrioles or centriole associated proteins could mediate centriole-dependent centromatrix assembly following fertilization. Thus, regulation of centromatrix-centriole interactions could be involved in maintaining the integrity of the centrosome's PCM and play an important role in centrosome disassembly during cell differentiation and morphogenesis.

Ran-GTP coordinates regulation of microtubule nucleation and dynamics during mitotic-spindle assembly

It was recently reported that GTP-bound Ran induces microtubule and pseudo-spindle assembly in mitotic egg extracts in the absence of chromosomes and centrosomes, and that chromosomes induce the assembly of spindle microtubules in these extracts through generation of Ran-GTP. Here we examine the effects of Ran-GTP on microtubule nucleation and dynamics and show that Ran-GTP has independent effects on both the nucleation activity of centrosomes and the stability of centrosomal microtubules. We also show that inhibition of Ran-GTP production, even in the presence of duplicated centrosomes and kinetochores, prevents assembly of a bipolar spindle in M-phase extracts.

Identification of ribonucleotide reductase protein R1 as an activator of microtubule nucleation in Xenopus egg mitotic extracts

Microtubule nucleation on the centrosome and the fungal equivalent, the spindle pole body (SPB), is activated at the onset of mitosis. We previously reported that mitotic extracts prepared from Xenopus unfertilized eggs convert the interphase SPB of fission yeast into a competent state for microtubule nucleation. In this study, we have purified an 85-kDa SPB activator from the extracts and identified it as the ribonucleotide reductase large subunit R1. We further confirmed that recombinant mouse R1 protein was also effective for SPB activation. On the other hand, another essential subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, R2 protein, was not required for SPB activation. SPB activation by R1 protein was suppressed in the presence of anti-R1 antibodies or a partial oligopeptide of R1; the oligopeptide also inhibited aster formation on Xenopus sperm centrosomes. In accordance, R1 was detected in animal centrosomes by immunofluorescence and immunoblotting with anti-R1 antibodies. In addition, recombinant mouse R1 protein bound to gamma- and alpha/beta-tubulin in vitro. These results suggest that R1 is a bifunctional protein that acts on both ribonucleotide reduction and centrosome/SPB activation.

Vaccinia virus infection disrupts microtubule organization and centrosome function

We examined the role of the microtubule cytoskeleton during vaccinia virus infection. We found that newly assembled virus particles accumulate in the vicinity of the microtubule-organizing centre in a microtubule- and dynein-dynactin complex-dependent fashion. Microtubules are required for efficient intracellular mature virus (IMV) formation and are essential for intracellular enveloped virus (IEV) assembly. As infection proceeds, the microtubule cytoskeleton becomes dramatically reorganized in a fashion reminiscent of overexpression of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Consistent with this, we report that the vaccinia proteins A10L and L4R have MAP-like properties and mediate direct binding of viral cores to microtubules in vitro. In addition, vaccinia infection also results in severe reduction of proteins at the centrosome and loss of centrosomal microtubule nucleation efficiency. This represents the first example of viral-induced disruption of centrosome function. Further studies with vaccinia will provide insights into the role of microtubules during viral pathogenesis and regulation of centrosome function.

Cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation of centrosomes: localization of phosphopeptide specific antibodies to the centrosome

The microtubule nucleation capacity of the centrosome increases dramatically as cells progress from interphase into mitosis. The increase in nucleation capacity of the centrosome correlates with the cell cycle-dependent localization of the mitotic protein monoclonal-2 (MPM-2) phosphoepitope-specific antibody to the mitotic centrosome. Therefore, the phosphorylation state of centrosomal components may regulate the microtubule nucleation capacity of this organelle during mitosis. Neither the identity of the MPM-2 kinase(s) nor all of the MPM-2-reactive phosphoproteins associated with the centrosome have been fully elucidated. Only recently have the characteristics of the MPM-2 epitope site been defined, and we used this information to prepare polyclonal antibodies against synthetic phosphopeptides containing potential MPM-2 epitopes derived from the sequences of two MPM-2-reactive proteins, topoisomerase II, and microtubule associated protein 1B (MAP1B). We demonstrate that these phosphopeptide-specific antibodies also localize to the centrosome in a cell cycle-dependent fashion. Thus, polyclonal antibodies have been generated against defined phosphopeptides that reiterate many of the immunofluorescence staining properties exhibited by the MPM-2 antibody. These new phosphopeptide-specific antibodies will provide additional probes to examine the phosphorylation of centrosomal components and the functional consequences of their phosphorylation during mitosis.

Reconstitution of microtubule nucleation potential in centrosomes isolated from Spisula solidissima oocytes

Treatment of isolated Spisula solidissima centrosomes with KI removes (gamma)-tubulin, 25 nm rings, and their microtubule nucleation potential, revealing the presence of a filamentous lattice, the ‘centromatrix’. Treatment of this centromatrix with Spisula oocyte extract results in the binding of (gamma)-tubulin and 25 nm rings, and the recovery of microtubule nucleation potential. Fractionation of this extract resulted in the separation of elements that are required for the recovery of microtubule nucleation potential. We show that some, but not all, of the elements needed cosediment with microtubules. Further, extracts prepared from activated (meiotic) and non-activated (interphase) Spisula oocytes, CHO cells blocked in S phase, Drosophila embryos and Xenopus oocytes all support the recovery of microtubule nucleation potential by the Spisula centromatrix. These results demonstrate that components necessary for centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation are functionally conserved and abundant in both interphase and meiotic/mitotic cytoplasm.

Centriolar satellites: molecular characterization, ATP-dependent movement toward centrioles and possible involvement in ciliogenesis

We identified Xenopus pericentriolar material-1 (PCM-1), which had been reported to constitute pericentriolar material, cloned its cDNA, and generated a specific pAb against this molecule. Immunolabeling revealed that PCM-1 was not a pericentriolar material protein, but a specific component of centriolar satellites, morphologically characterized as electron-dense granules, approximately 70-100 nm in diameter, scattered around centrosomes. Using a GFP fusion protein with PCM-1, we found that PCM-1-containing centriolar satellites moved along microtubules toward their minus ends, i.e., toward centrosomes, in live cells, as well as in vitro reconstituted asters. These findings defined centriolar satellites at the molecular level, and explained their pericentriolar localization. Next, to understand the relationship between centriolar satellites and centriolar replication, we examined the expression and subcellular localization of PCM-1 in ciliated epithelial cells during ciliogenesis. When ciliogenesis was induced in mouse nasal respiratory epithelial cells, PCM-1 immunofluorescence was markedly elevated at the apical cytoplasm. At the electron microscopic level, anti-PCM-1 pAb exclusively labeled fibrous granules, but not deuterosomes, both of which have been suggested to play central roles in centriolar replication in ciliogenesis. These findings suggested that centriolar satellites and fibrous granules are identical novel nonmembranous organelles containing PCM-1, which may play some important role(s) in centriolar replication.

Tobacco BY-2 cell-free extracts induce the recovery of microtubule nucleating activity of inactivated mammalian centrosomes

The structure and the molecular composition of the microtubule-organizing centers in acentriolar higher plant cells remain unknown. We developed an in vitro complementation assay where tobacco BY-2 extracts can restore the microtubule-nucleating activity of urea-inactivated mammalian centrosomes. Our results provide first evidence that soluble microtubule-nucleating factors are present in the plant cytosolic fraction. The implication for microtubule nucleation in higher plants is discussed.

Unusual centrosome cycle in Dictyostelium: correlation of dynamic behavior and structural changes

Centrosome duplication and separation are of central importance for cell division. Here we provide a detailed account of this dynamic process in Dictyostelium. Centrosome behavior was monitored in living cells using a gamma-tubulin-green fluorescent protein construct and correlated with morphological changes at the ultrastructural level. All aspects of the duplication and separation process of this centrosome are unusual when compared with, e.g., vertebrate cells. In interphase the Dictyostelium centrosome is a box-shaped structure comprised of three major layers, surrounded by an amorphous corona from which microtubules emerge. Structural duplication takes place during prophase, as opposed to G1/S in vertebrate cells. The three layers of the box-shaped core structure increase in size. The surrounding corona is lost, an event accompanied by a decrease in signal intensity of gamma-tubulin-green fluorescent protein at the centrosome and the breakdown of the interphase microtubule system. At the prophase/prometaphase transition the separation into two mitotic centrosomes takes place via an intriguing lengthwise splitting process where the two outer layers of the prophase centrosome peel away from each other and become the mitotic centrosomes. Spindle microtubules are now nucleated from surfaces that previously were buried inside the interphase centrosome. Finally, at the end of telophase, the mitotic centrosomes fold in such a way that the microtubule-nucleating surface remains on the outside of the organelle. Thus in each cell cycle the centrosome undergoes an apparent inside-out/outside-in reversal of its layered structure.

The disassembly and reassembly of functional centrosomes in vitro

Animal cells contain a single centrosome that nucleates and organizes a polarized array of microtubules which functions in many cellular processes. In most cells the centrosome is composed of two centrioles surrounded by an ill-defined "cloud" of pericentriolar material. Recently, gamma-tubulin-containing 25-nm diameter ring structures have been identified as likely microtubule nucleation sites within the pericentriolar material of isolated centrosomes. Here we demonstrate that when Spisula centrosomes are extracted with 1.0 M KI they lose their microtubule nucleation potential and appear by three-dimensional electron microscopy as a complex lattice, built from 12- to 15-nm thick elementary fiber(s), that lack centrioles and 25-nm rings. Importantly, when these remnants are incubated in extracts prepared from Spisula oocytes they recover their 25-nm rings, gamma-tubulin, and microtubule nucleation potential. This recovery process occurs in the absence of microtubules, divalent cations, and nucleotides. Thus, in animals the centrosome is structurally organized around a KI-insoluble filament-based "centromatrix" that serves as a scaffold to which those proteins required for microtubule nucleation bind, either directly or indirectly, in a divalent cation and nucleotide independent manner.

Microtubule organization during the early development of the parthenogenetic egg of the hymenopteran Muscidifurax uniraptor

The origin of the zygotic centrosome is an important step in developmental biology. It is generally thought that sperm at fertilization plays a central role in forming the functional centrosome which subsequently organizes the first mitotic spindle. However, this view is not applicable in the case of parthenogenetic eggs which develop without the sperm contribution. To clarify the problem of the origin of the zygotic centrosome during parthenogenetic development, we studied a hymenopteran, Muscidifurax uniraptor. Antitubulin antibody revealed that after activation several asters assembled in the egg cytoplasm. The number of asters varied in relation to the cell cycle. They became visible from anaphase of the first meiotic division and increased in number as meiosis progressed, reaching a maximum at the first mitosis. From anaphase-telophase of the first mitosis they decreased in number and were no longer found during the third mitotic division. To elucidate the nature of these asters we performed an ultrastructural study with transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence with antibodies against anti-gamma-tubulin and CP190. In this way we showed the presence in these asters of centrosomal components and centrioles. Our observations suggest that the cytoplasm of Muscidifurax eggs contains a pool of inactive centrosomal precursor proteins becoming able to nucleate microtubules into well-defined asters containing centrioles after activation.

The Xenopus protein kinase pEg2 associates with the centrosome in a cell cycle-dependent manner, binds to the spindle microtubules and is involved in bipolar mitotic spindle assembly

By differential screening of a Xenopus laevis egg cDNA library, we have isolated a 2,111 bp cDNA which corresponds to a maternal mRNA specifically deadenylated after fertilisation. This cDNA, called Eg2, encodes a 407 amino acid protein kinase. The pEg2 sequence shows significant identity with members of a new protein kinase sub-family which includes Aurora from Drosophila and Ipl1 (increase in ploidy-1) from budding yeast, enzymes involved in centrosome migration and chromosome segregation, respectively. A single 46 kDa polypeptide, which corresponds to the deduced molecular mass of pEg2, is immunodetected in Xenopus oocyte and egg extracts, as well as in lysates of Xenopus XL2 cultured cells. In XL2 cells, pEg2 is immunodetected only in S, G2 and M phases of the cell cycle, where it always localises to the centrosomal region of the cell. In addition, pEg2 ‘invades’ the microtubules at the poles of the mitotic spindle in metaphase and anaphase. Immunoelectron microscopy experiments show that pEg2 is located precisely around the pericentriolar material in prophase and on the spindle microtubules in anaphase. We also demonstrate that pEg2 binds directly to taxol stabilised microtubules in vitro. In addition, we show that the presence of microtubules during mitosis is not necessary for an association between pEg2 and the centrosome. Finally we show that a catalytically inactive pEg2 kinase stops the assembly of bipolar mitotic spindles in Xenopus egg extracts.

Dictyostelium gamma-tubulin: molecular characterization and ultrastructural localization

The centrosome of Dictyostelium discoideum is a nucleus-associated body consisting of an electron-dense, three-layered core surrounded by an amorphous matrix, the corona. To elucidate the molecular and supramolecular architecture of this unique microtubule-organizing center, we have isolated and sequenced the gene encoding gamma-tubulin and have studied its localization in the Dictyostelium centrosome using immunofluorescence and postembedding immunoelectron microscopy. D. discoideum possesses a single copy of a gamma-tubulin gene that is related to, but more divergent from, other gamma-tubulins. The low-abundance gene product is localized to the centrosome in an intriguing pattern: it is highly concentrated in the corona in regularly spaced clusters whose distribution correlates with the patterning of dense nodules that are a prominent feature of the corona. These observations lend support to the notion that the corona is the functional homologue of the pericentriolar matrix of ‘higher’ eukaryotic centrosomes, and that nodules are the functional equivalent of gamma-tubulin ring complexes that serve as nucleation sites for microtubules in animal centrosomes.

Oocyte maturation in rabbits: effects of calmodulin inhibitors

Oocyte maturation in mammals follows a highly conserved pattern of release from arrest through to the extrusion of the first polar body and formation of the second metaphase spindle. Oscillations in cytoplasmic calcium concentration precede the events of maturation in many species. These calcium ions interact with and activate calcium-binding proteins, including calmodulin, within the cell. Thus, it was of interest to us to examine whether calcium acted through calmodulin in the initial stages of maturation in rabbit oocytes or whether calmodulin was required for continuation through metaphase I no to metaphase II. Using the calmodulin inhibitor W-7 we found a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the percentage of oocytes that underwent germinal vesicle breakdown. Calmidazolium did not prevent germinal vesicle breakdown; however, it caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the proportion of oocytes with fully elaborated spindles and taxol-induced cytoplasmic asters. Both inhibitors caused a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the proportion of oocytes that extruded their first polar bodies. The kinase inhibitor 6-DMAP caused a significant reduction in the proportion of oocytes with spindles and condensed chromatin, indicating the necessity for phosphorylation events in the resumption of meiosis. In rabbit oocytes calmodulin may play a role in the release from prophase arrest, and it is necessary for spindle preservation and continuation through metaphase I to metaphase II. The varying effects of the two inhibitor stems from their different binding sites on the calmodulin molecule thus causing a differential effect on its downstream effectors.

Centrosomes isolated from Spisula solidissima oocytes contain rings and an unusual stoichiometric ratio of alpha/beta tubulin

Centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation involves the interaction of tubulin subunits with pericentriolar material. To study the biochemical and structural basis of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation, centrosomes capable of organizing microtubules into astral arrays were isolated from parthenogenetically activated Spisula solidissima oocytes. Intermediate voltage electron microscopy tomography revealed that each centrosome was composed of a single centriole surrounded by pericentriolar material that was studded with ring-shaped structures approximately 25 nm in diameter and <25 nm in length. A number of proteins copurified with centrosomes including: (a) proteins that contained M-phase-specific phosphoepitopes (MPM-2), (b) alpha-, beta-, and gamma-tubulins, (c) actin, and (d) three low molecular weight proteins of <20 kD. gamma-Tubulin was not an MPM-2 phosphoprotein and was the most abundant form of tubulin in centrosomes. Relatively little alpha- or beta-tubulin copurified with centrosomes, and the ratio of alpha- to beta-tubulin in centrosomes was not 1:1 as expected, but rather 1:4.6, suggesting that centrosomes contain beta-tubulin that is not dimerized with alpha-tubulin.

Demonstration and analysis of tubulin binding sites on centrosomes

Microtubule nucleation on centrosomes is vital to the establishment of organized microtubule arrays in cells. Despite recent advances, little is known about the sequence of molecular events which leads to microtubule assembly on centrosomes. A putative early step in the nucleation process is interaction of free tubulin dimers with centrosomes. Here, we asked if centrosomes indeed interact in a specific manner with free tubulin dimers. Using lysed cells, we show that centrosomes have a specific capacity to accumulate free tubulin molecules as compared to most other cytoplasmic cell structures. When interphasic lysed cells are incubated with rhodamine-conjugated tubulin, centrosomes emerge as conspicuous sites of tubulin accumulation while other insoluble cytoplasmic cell structures are not stained. In mitotic cells, lysed at various stages of mitosis, fluorescent tubulin stains centrosomes and other mitotic structures, such as the mitotic spindle, the midzone of the cleavage furrow, and the center part of the midbody. Fluorescent tubulin staining of centrosomes in lysed cells is not affected by addition of high concentrations of serum albumin to fluorescent tubulin solutions prior to incubation. In contrast, addition of micromolar concentrations of unlabeled tubulin, to fluorescent tubulin solutions, strongly reduces centrosomal staining. The tubulin binding capacity of centrosomes is conserved following centrosome isolation. Using quantitative methods for analysis of fluorescent tubulin binding on centrosomes, we find that centrosomes contain about 25 000 saturable tubulin binding sites. The apparent dissociation constant of tubulin-centrosome complexes is circa 5 microM. The kinetics of tubulin association with centrosomes are slow, with a half-saturation time of about 3 min and a very slow dissociation rate. Tubulin binding to centrosomes is inhibited at low temperatures, at pH above neutrality, and at NaCl concentrations above 100 mM. Our results suggest that accumulation of tubulin dimers is one intrinsic function of centrosomes. We propose that such a function is not accounted for by the presence of gamma-tubulin on centrosomes and may be an important factor in the regulation of centrosome-dependent microtubule nucleation.

LK6, a short lived protein kinase in Drosophila that can associate with microtubules and centrosomes

A number of polyclonal mouse sera were raised against Drosophila proteins that bound to microtubules in vitro (Kellogg et al. (1989) J. Cell Biol. 109, 2977–2991). Some of these sera recognised centrosomes in vivo, and we have been using these to screen expression libraries to isolate cDNAs encoding these putative centrosomal microtubule-associated proteins. Here we report the cloning of one such cDNA that encodes a novel serine/threonine protein kinase called LK6. The protein appears to exist in two forms: an abundant 185 kDa form and a rarer approximately 220 kDa form that interacts with microtubules. At least some of the LK6 protein is located in centrosomes at all stages of the cell cycle in fly embryos. Interestingly, the protein contains a PEST-like sequence and is rapidly turned over in vivo. Constitutive overexpression of LK6 is deleterious to flies and causes defects in microtubule organisation in both eggs and early embryos, whereas constitutive overexpression of a mutant form containing a point mutation that severely impairs the kinase activity is without effect. These findings suggest that LK6 may play a role in regulating microtubule function.

Nuclear components with microtubule-organizing properties in multicellular eukaryotes: functional and evolutionary considerations

The nucleus and the microtubular cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells appear to be structurally and functionally interrelated. Together they constitute a "cell body". One of the most important components of this body is a primary microtubule-organizing center (MTOC-I) located on or near the nuclear surface and composed of material that, in addition to constitutive centrosomal material, also comprises some nuclear matrix components. The MTOC-I shares a continuity with the mitotic spindle and, in animal cells, with the centrosome also. Secondary microtubule-organizing centers (MTOC-IIs) are a special feature of walled plant cells and are found at the plasma membrane where they organize arrays of cortical MTs that are essential for ordered cell wall synthesis and hence for cellular morphogenesis. MTOC-IIs are held to be similar in origin to the MTOC-I, but their material has been translocated to the cell periphery, perhaps by MTs organized and radiating from the MTOC-I. Many intranuclear, matrix-related components have been identified to participate in MT organization during mitosis and cytokinesis; some of them also seem to be related to the condensation and decondensation of chromatin during the mitotic chromosome cycle.

Cytoplasmic accumulation of cdc25B phosphatase in mitosis triggers centrosomal microtubule nucleation in HeLa cells

The formation of the mitotic spindle is an essential prerequisite for successful mitosis. The dramatic changes in the level of microtubule (Mt) nucleation at the centrosomes and Mt dynamics that occur in prophase are presumed to be initiated through the activity of cdc2/cyclin B. Here we present data that the cdc25B isoform functions to activate the cytoplasmic pool of cdc2/cyclin B responsible for these events. In contrast to cdc25C, cdc25B is present at low levels in HeLa cells during interphase, but sharply increases in prophase, when cdc25B accumulation in the cytoplasm correlates with prophase spindle formation. Overexpression of wild type and dominant negative mutants of cdc25B and cdc25C shows that prophase Mt nucleation is a consequence of cytoplasmic cdc25B activity, and that cdc25C regulates nuclear G2/M events. Our data also suggest that the functional status of the centrosome can regulate nuclear mitotic events.

Association of 14-3-3 proteins with centrosomes

The 14-3-3 proteins are involved in diverse signal transduction pathways and interact physically with a wide variety of proteins. Here, we report the partial sequence analysis of a human spleen 14-3-3 protein, which was identified as a variant form of the epsilon isoform. A peptide antibody generated to the variant 14-3-3 localizes in the centrosome and spindle apparatus of mouse leukemic FDCP cells by immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunoblots of centrosomes isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation of cell lysates disclose only the epsilon and gamma isoforms, while total cellular lysates contain the epsilon, gamma, beta and zeta isoforms of 14-3-3. These data suggest that a subset of total cellular 14-3-3 proteins are localized in the centrosomes and spindle apparatus. A differential localization of the centrosomal 14-3-3 was observed in mouse 3T3 cells. Serum-starved (quiescent) cells lack the centrosomal 14-3-3, but upon serum-stimulation of these quiescent cells, the centrosomal 14-3-3 reappears. We propose that a subset of intracellular 14-3-3 proteins are localized in the centrosome and spindle apparatus, and may in fact, link mitogenic signaling, the cell cycle, and perhaps the centrosome duplication cycle as well.

Role of gamma-tubulin in mitosis-specific microtubule nucleation from the Schizosaccharomyces pombe spindle pole body

The ability of the Schizosacchromyces pombe spindle pole body to nucleate microtubules is activated at the onset of mitosis for forming a mitotic spindle, but it is inactivated during interphase. We have previously developed an in vitro assay for studying the molecular mechanism of spindle pole body activation using permeabilized interphase S. pombe cells and Xenopus mitotic extracts. We have shown that the interphase spindle pole body is activated indirectly by p34cdc2 protein kinase in Xenopus mitotic extracts. In this study we examined the role of gamma-tubulin, a component of both interphase and mitotic spindle pole body, in formation of the microtubule nucleating complex at the mitotic spindle pole body. A polyclonal antibody specific to S. pombe gamma-tubulin inhibited both activation of the interphase spindle pole body and microtubule nucleation from the mitotic spindle pole body. Addition of bacterially expressed S. pombe gamma-tubulin or its amino-terminal fragments to Xenopus mitotic extracts inhibited spindle pole body activation. Affinity chromatography of partially fractionated Xenopus mitotic extracts with the amino-terminal fragment of S. pombe gamma-tubulin showed that fractions bound to the fragment supported the activation. The fractions did not contain Xenopus gamma-tubulin, showing that activation of the spindle pole body is not due to recruitment of Xenopus gamma-tubulin to the spindle pole body. The spindle pole body activation occurred in extracts depleted of p34cdc2 protein kinase or MAP kinase. The activity of the fractions bound to the fragment was inhibited by a protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine. These results suggest that S. pombe gamma-tubulin is a component of the microtubule nucleating complex, and that the function of proteins that interact with gamma-tubulin is required for activation of the spindle pole body. We present possible models for the activation that convert the immature microtubule nucleating complex at interphase into the mature microtubule nucleating complex at mitosis.

RNA localization along the anteroposterior axis of the Drosophila oocyte requires PKA-mediated signal transduction to direct normal microtubule organization

Microtubule polarity has been implicated as the basis for polarized localization of morphogenetic determinants that specify the anteroposterior axis in Drosophila oocytes. We describe mutation affecting Protein Kinase A (PKA) that act in the germ line to disrupt both microtubule distribution and RNA localization along this axis. In normal oocytes, the site of microtubule nucleation shifts from posterior to anterior immediately prior to polarized localization of bicoid and oskar RNAs. In PKA-deficient oocytes, posterior microtubules are present during this transition, oskar RNA fails to accumulate at the posterior, and bicoid RNA accumulates at both ends of the oocyte. Similar RNA mislocalization patterns previously reported for Notch and Delta mutants suggest that PKA transduces a signal for microtubule reorganization that is sent by posteriorly located follicle cells.

In vitro reconstitution of centrosome assembly and function: the central role of gamma-tubulin

The centrosome nucleates microtubule polymerization, affecting microtubule number, polarity, and structure. We use an in vitro system based on extracts of Xenopus eggs to examine the role of gamma-tubulin in centrosome assembly and function. gamma-Tubulin is present in the cytoplasm of frog eggs and vertebrate somatic cells in a large approximately 25S complex. The egg extracts assemble centrosomes around sperm centrioles. Formation of a centrosome in the extract requires both the gamma-tubulin complex and ATP and can take place in the absence of microtubules. gamma-Tubulin is not present on the sperm prior to incubation in extract, but is recruited from the cytoplasm during centrosome assembly. The gamma-tubulin complex also binds to microtubules, likely the minus end, independent of the centrosome. These results suggest that gamma-tubulin is an essential component of the link between the centrosome and the microtubule, probably playing a direct role in microtubule nucleation.

Cellular substrates of p34cdc2 and its companion cyclin-dependent kinases

Cyclin-dependent kinase (cdks) are key components of the engine that drives the cell proliferation cycle in all eukaryotes. These kinases are related to p34(cdc2) and associate with regulatory subunits belonging to the cyclin family. To understand how cdks promote cell cycle progression, it will be important to identify their physiological substrates and to determine how phosphorylation influences the functions of these substrates. This article discusses recent progress as well as some of the problems related to the quest for cdk substrates.

Association of p34cdc2/cyclin B complex with microtubules in starfish oocytes

The microtubular cytoskeleton exhibits a dramatic reorganization, progressing from interphase radial arrays to a mitotic spindle at the G2/M transition. Although this reorganization has been suspected to be caused by maturation promoting factor (MPF: p34cdc2/cyclin B complex), little is known about how p34cdc2 kinase controls microtubule networks. We provide evidence of the direct association of the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex with microtubules in starfish oocytes. Anti-cyclin B staining of detergent-treated oocytes, isolated asters and meiotic spindles revealed fluorescence associated with microtubule fibers, chromosomes and centrosomes. Microtubules prepared from starfish oocytes were associated with cyclin B and p34cdc2 proteins. Microtubule-bound p34cdc2 and cyclin B were released from microtubules by a high-salt solution and possessed a complex form as shown by the adsorption to suc1-beads and by immunoprecipitation with the anti-cyclin B antibody. The p34cdc2/cyclin B complex associated to microtubules had high histone H1 kinase activity at meiotic metaphase. However, it was not necessary for the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex to be active for microtubule binding, as an inactive form in immature oocytes was also observed to bind to microtubules. The coprecipitation of suc1-column purified p34cdc2/cyclin B with purified porcine brain microtubules in the presence of starfish oocyte microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) indicates that the association of p34cdc2/cyclin B with microtubules in vitro is mediated by MAPs.