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Rinaldin M, Kickuth A, Dalton B, Xu Y, Di Talia S, Brugués J. Robust cytoplasmic partitioning by solving an intrinsic cytoskeletal instability. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.12.584684. [PMID: 38559072 PMCID: PMC10980089 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Early development across vertebrates and insects critically relies on robustly reorganizing the cytoplasm of fertilized eggs into individualized cells. This intricate process is orchestrated by large microtubule structures that traverse the embryo, partitioning the cytoplasm into physically distinct and stable compartments. Despite the robustness of embryonic development, here we uncover an intrinsic instability in cytoplasmic partitioning driven by the microtubule cytoskeleton. We reveal that embryos circumvent this instability through two distinct mechanisms: either by matching the cell cycle duration to the time needed for the instability to unfold or by limiting microtubule nucleation. These regulatory mechanisms give rise to two possible strategies to fill the cytoplasm, which we experimentally demonstrate in zebrafish and Drosophila embryos, respectively. In zebrafish embryos, unstable microtubule waves fill the geometry of the entire embryo from the first division. Conversely, in Drosophila embryos, stable microtubule asters resulting from reduced microtubule nucleation gradually fill the cytoplasm throughout multiple divisions. Our results indicate that the temporal control of microtubule dynamics could have driven the evolutionary emergence of species-specific mechanisms for effective cytoplasmic organization. Furthermore, our study unveils a fundamental synergy between physical instabilities and biological clocks, uncovering universal strategies for rapid, robust, and efficient spatial ordering in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Rinaldin
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Germany
| | - Alison Kickuth
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Germany
| | - Benjamin Dalton
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yitong Xu
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Jan Brugués
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, 01307 Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Germany
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2
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de-Carvalho J, Tlili S, Saunders TE, Telley IA. The positioning mechanics of microtubule asters in Drosophila embryo explants. eLife 2024; 12:RP90541. [PMID: 38426416 PMCID: PMC10911390 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Microtubule asters are essential in localizing the action of microtubules in processes including mitosis and organelle positioning. In large cells, such as the one-cell sea urchin embryo, aster dynamics are dominated by hydrodynamic pulling forces. However, in systems with more densely positioned nuclei such as the early Drosophila embryo, which packs around 6000 nuclei within the syncytium in a crystalline-like order, it is unclear what processes dominate aster dynamics. Here, we take advantage of a cell cycle regulation Drosophila mutant to generate embryos with multiple asters, independent from nuclei. We use an ex vivo assay to further simplify this biological system to explore the forces generated by and between asters. Through live imaging, drug and optical perturbations, and theoretical modeling, we demonstrate that these asters likely generate an effective pushing force over short distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge de-Carvalho
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Fundação Calouste GulbenkianOeirasPortugal
| | - Sham Tlili
- Mechanobiology Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*Star, ProteosSingaporeSingapore
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, Warwick Medical School, University of WarwickWarwickUnited Kingdom
| | - Ivo A Telley
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Fundação Calouste GulbenkianOeirasPortugal
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3
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Ali A, Stukenberg PT. Aurora kinases: Generators of spatial control during mitosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1139367. [PMID: 36994100 PMCID: PMC10040841 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1139367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division events require regulatory systems to ensure that events happen in a distinct order. The classic view of temporal control of the cell cycle posits that cells order events by linking them to changes in Cyclin Dependent Kinase (CDK) activities. However, a new paradigm is emerging from studies of anaphase where chromatids separate at the central metaphase plate and then move to opposite poles of the cell. These studies suggest that distinct events are ordered depending upon the location of each chromosome along its journey from the central metaphase plate to the elongated spindle poles. This system is dependent upon a gradient of Aurora B kinase activity that emerges during anaphase and acts as a spatial beacon to control numerous anaphase/telophase events and cytokinesis. Recent studies also suggest that Aurora A kinase activity specifies proximity of chromosomes or proteins to spindle poles during prometaphase. Together these studies argue that a key role for Aurora kinases is to provide spatial information that controls events depending upon the location of chromosomes or proteins along the mitotic spindle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P. Todd Stukenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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4
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Gires PY, Thampi M, Krauss SW, Weiss M. Exploring generic principles of compartmentalization in a developmental in vitro model. Development 2023; 150:286676. [PMID: 36647820 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Self-organization of cells into higher-order structures is key for multicellular organisms, for example via repetitive replication of template-like founder cells or syncytial energids. Yet, very similar spatial arrangements of cell-like compartments ('protocells') are also seen in a minimal model system of Xenopus egg extracts in the absence of template structures and chromatin, with dynamic microtubule assemblies driving the self-organization process. Quantifying geometrical features over time, we show here that protocell patterns are highly organized with a spatial arrangement and coarsening dynamics similar to that of two-dimensional foams but without the long-range ordering expected for hexagonal patterns. These features remain invariant when enforcing smaller protocells by adding taxol, i.e. patterns are dominated by a single, microtubule-derived length scale. Comparing our data to generic models, we conclude that protocell patterns emerge by simultaneous formation of randomly assembling protocells that grow at a uniform rate towards a frustrated arrangement before fusion of adjacent protocells eventually drives coarsening. The similarity of protocell patterns to arrays of energids and cells in developing organisms, but also to epithelial monolayers, suggests generic mechanical cues to drive self-organized space compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Yves Gires
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Mithun Thampi
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian W Krauss
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental Physics I, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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5
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Dor YB, Kafri Y, Kardar M, Tailleur J. Passive objects in confined active fluids: A localization transition. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:044604. [PMID: 36397585 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.044604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We study how walls confining active fluids interact with asymmetric passive objects placed in their bulk. We show that the objects experience nonconservative long-ranged forces mediated by the active bath. To leading order, these forces can be computed using a generalized image theorem. The walls repel asymmetric objects, irrespective of their microscopic properties or their orientations. For circular cavities, we demonstrate how this may lead to the localization of asymmetric objects in the center of the cavity, something impossible for symmetric ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ydan Ben Dor
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Yariv Kafri
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Mehran Kardar
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Julien Tailleur
- Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), UMR 7057 CNRS, F-75205 Paris, France
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6
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Sami AB, Gatlin JC. Dynein-dependent collection of membranes defines the architecture and position of microtubule asters in isolated, geometrically confined volumes of cell-free extracts. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:br20. [PMID: 35976715 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-03-0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
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].
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse C Gatlin
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Cell Division & Organization Group, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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7
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Willekers S, Tessadori F, van der Vaart B, Henning HH, Stucchi R, Altelaar M, Roelen BAJ, Akhmanova A, Bakkers J. The centriolar satellite protein Cfap53 facilitates formation of the zygotic microtubule organizing center in the zebrafish embryo. Development 2022; 149:dev198762. [PMID: 35980365 PMCID: PMC9481976 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
In embryos of most animal species, the zygotic centrosome is assembled by the centriole derived from the sperm cell and pericentriolar proteins present in the oocyte. This zygotic centrosome acts as a microtubule organizing center (MTOC) to assemble the sperm aster and mitotic spindle. As MTOC formation has been studied mainly in adult cells, very little is known about the formation of the zygotic MTOC. Here, we show that zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos lacking either maternal or paternal Cfap53, a centriolar satellite protein, arrest during the first cell cycle. Although Cfap53 is dispensable for sperm aster function, it aids proper formation of the mitotic spindle. During cell division, Cfap53 colocalizes with γ-tubulin and with other centrosomal and centriolar satellite proteins at the MTOC. Furthermore, we find that γ-tubulin localization at the MTOC is impaired in the absence of Cfap53. Based on these results, we propose a model in which Cfap53 deposited in the oocyte and the sperm participates in the organization of the zygotic MTOC to allow mitotic spindle formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Willekers
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | | | - Babet van der Vaart
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Heiko H. Henning
- Equine Sciences, Department Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CM, The Netherlands
| | - Riccardo Stucchi
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Altelaar
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Bernard A. J. Roelen
- Embryology, Anatomy and Physiology, Department Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Akhmanova
- Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584 CH, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Bakkers
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Division of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 EA, The Netherlands
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8
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Bai L, Mitchison TJ. Spring-like behavior of cytoplasm holds the mitotic spindle in place. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203036119. [PMID: 35324318 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203036119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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9
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Marsal M, Bernardello M, Gualda EJ, Loza-Alvarez P. Multiple asters organize the yolk microtubule network during dclk2-GFP zebrafish epiboly. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4072. [PMID: 35260695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07747-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that the organization of microtubule (MT) networks in cells is orchestrated by subcellular structures named MT organizing centers (MTOCs). In this work, we use Light Sheet Fluorescence and Confocal Microscopy to investigate how the MT network surrounding the spherical yolk is arranged in the dclk2-GFP zebrafish transgenic line. We found that during epiboly the MT network is organized by multiple aster-like MTOCS. These structures form rings around the yolk sphere. Importantly, in wt embryos, aster-like MTOCs are only found upon pharmacological or genetic induction. Using our microscopy approach, we underscore the variability in the number of such asters in the transgenic line and report on the variety of global configurations of the yolk MT network. The asters’ morphology, dynamics, and their distribution in the yolk sphere are also analyzed. We propose that these features are tightly linked to epiboly timing and geometry. Key molecules are identified which support this asters role as MTOCs, where MT nucleation and growth take place. We conclude that the yolk MT network of dclk2-GFP transgenic embryos can be used as a model to organize microtubules in a spherical geometry by means of multiple MTOCs.
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10
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Xie J, Najafi J, Le Borgne R, Verbavatz JM, Durieu C, Sallé J, Minc N. Contribution of cytoplasm viscoelastic properties to mitotic spindle positioning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2115593119. [PMID: 35169074 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115593119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of mitotic spindle positioning is a key process for tissue architecture, embryo development, and stem cells. To date, most models have assumed that spindles are positioned by forces exerted by polar cytoskeleton networks, like microtubule asters or actomyosin bundles. Here, using in situ magnetic tweezers to apply calibrated forces and torques to mitotic spindles in live dividing sea urchin cells, we found that the viscoelastic properties of the cytoplasm medium in which spindles are embedded can hold spindles in place and move them back if their original position is perturbed. These viscoelastic forces are large and may significantly participate in the force balance that position and orient mitotic spindles in many cell types. Cells are filled with macromolecules and polymer networks that set scale-dependent viscous and elastic properties to the cytoplasm. Although the role of these parameters in molecular diffusion, reaction kinetics, and cellular biochemistry is being increasingly recognized, their contributions to the motion and positioning of larger organelles, such as mitotic spindles for cell division, remain unknown. Here, using magnetic tweezers to displace and rotate mitotic spindles in living embryos, we uncovered that the cytoplasm can impart viscoelastic reactive forces that move spindles, or passive objects with similar size, back to their original positions. These forces are independent of cytoskeletal force generators yet reach hundreds of piconewtons and scale with cytoplasm crowding. Spindle motion shears and fluidizes the cytoplasm, dissipating elastic energy and limiting spindle recoils with functional implications for asymmetric and oriented divisions. These findings suggest that bulk cytoplasm material properties may constitute important control elements for the regulation of division positioning and cellular organization.
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11
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de-Carvalho J, Tlili S, Hufnagel L, Saunders TE, Telley IA. Aster repulsion drives short-ranged ordering in the Drosophila syncytial blastoderm. Development 2022; 149:274085. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.199997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Biological systems are highly complex, yet notably ordered structures can emerge. During syncytial stage development of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo, nuclei synchronously divide for nine cycles within a single cell, after which most of the nuclei reach the cell cortex. The arrival of nuclei at the cortex occurs with remarkable positional order, which is important for subsequent cellularisation and morphological transformations. Yet, the mechanical principles underlying this lattice-like positional order of nuclei remain untested. Here, using quantification of nuclei position and division orientation together with embryo explants, we show that short-ranged repulsive interactions between microtubule asters ensure the regular distribution and maintenance of nuclear positions in the embryo. Such ordered nuclear positioning still occurs with the loss of actin caps and even the loss of the nuclei themselves; the asters can self-organise with similar distribution to nuclei in the wild-type embryo. The explant assay enabled us to deduce the nature of the mechanical interaction between pairs of nuclei. We used this to predict how the nuclear division axis orientation changes upon nucleus removal from the embryo cortex, which we confirmed in vivo with laser ablation. Overall, we show that short-ranged microtubule-mediated repulsive interactions between asters are important for ordering in the early Drosophila embryo and minimising positional irregularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge de-Carvalho
- Physics of Intracellular Organization Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sham Tlili
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411 Singapore
| | - Lars Hufnagel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Timothy E. Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411 Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117411Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*Star, Proteos, 138632 Singapore
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7HL, UK
| | - Ivo A. Telley
- Physics of Intracellular Organization Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
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12
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Abstract
The purpose of this review is to explore self-organizing mechanisms that pattern microtubules (MTs) and spatially organize animal cell cytoplasm, inspired by recent experiments in frog egg extract. We start by reviewing conceptual distinctions between self-organizing and templating mechanisms for subcellular organization. We then discuss self-organizing mechanisms that generate radial MT arrays and cell centers in the absence of centrosomes. These include autocatalytic MT nucleation, transport of minus ends, and nucleation from organelles such as melanosomes and Golgi vesicles that are also dynein cargoes. We then discuss mechanisms that partition the cytoplasm in syncytia, in which multiple nuclei share a common cytoplasm, starting with cytokinesis, when all metazoan cells are transiently syncytial. The cytoplasm of frog eggs is partitioned prior to cytokinesis by two self-organizing modules, protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1)-kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) and chromosome passenger complex (CPC)-KIF20A. Similar modules may partition longer-lasting syncytia, such as early Drosophila embryos. We end by discussing shared mechanisms and principles for the MT-based self-organization of cellular units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Mitchison
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Christine M Field
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
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13
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Geisterfer ZM, Guilloux G, Gatlin JC, Gibeaux R. The Cytoskeleton and Its Roles in Self-Organization Phenomena: Insights from Xenopus Egg Extracts. Cells 2021; 10:2197. [PMID: 34571847 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-organization of and by the cytoskeleton is central to the biology of the cell. Since their introduction in the early 1980s, cytoplasmic extracts derived from the eggs of the African clawed-frog, Xenopus laevis, have flourished as a major experimental system to study the various facets of cytoskeleton-dependent self-organization. Over the years, the many investigations that have used these extracts uniquely benefited from their simplified cell cycle, large experimental volumes, biochemical tractability and cell-free nature. Here, we review the contributions of egg extracts to our understanding of the cytoplasmic aspects of self-organization by the microtubule and the actomyosin cytoskeletons as well as the importance of cytoskeletal filaments in organizing nuclear structure and function.
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14
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Sallé J, Minc N. Cell division geometries as central organizers of early embryo development. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021:S1084-9521(21)00208-1. [PMID: 34419349 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Early cellular patterning is a critical step of embryonic development that determines the proper progression of morphogenesis in all metazoans. It relies on a series of rapid reductive divisions occurring simultaneously with the specification of the fate of different subsets of cells. Multiple species developmental strategies emerged in the form of a unique cleavage pattern with stereotyped division geometries. Cleavage geometries have long been associated to the emergence of canonical developmental features such as cell cycle asynchrony, zygotic genome activation and fate specification. Yet, the direct causal role of division positioning on blastomere cell behavior remain partially understood. Oriented and/or asymmetric divisions define blastomere cell sizes, contacts and positions, with potential immediate impact on cellular decisions, lineage specification and morphogenesis. Division positions also instruct daughter cells polarity, mechanics and geometries, thereby influencing subsequent division events, in an emergent interplay that may pattern early embryos independently of firm deterministic genetic programs. We here review the recent literature which helped to delineate mechanisms and functions of division positioning in early embryos.
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15
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Xie Q, Zhuang Y, Ye G, Wang T, Cao Y, Jiang L. Astral hydrogels mimic tissue mechanics by aster-aster interpenetration. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4277. [PMID: 34257316 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24663-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Many soft tissues are compression-stiffening and extension-softening in response to axial strains, but common hydrogels are either inert (for ideal chains) or tissue-opposite (for semiflexible polymers). Herein, we report a class of astral hydrogels that are structurally distinct from tissues but mechanically tissue-like. Specifically, hierarchical self-assembly of amphiphilic gemini molecules produces radial asters with a common core and divergently growing, semiflexible ribbons; adjacent asters moderately interpenetrate each other via interlacement of their peripheral ribbons to form a gel network. Resembling tissues, the astral gels stiffen in compression and soften in extension with all the experimental data across different gel compositions collapsing onto a single master curve. We put forward a minimal model to reproduce the master curve quantitatively, underlying the determinant role of aster-aster interpenetration. Compression significantly expands the interpenetration region, during which the number of effective crosslinks is increased and the network strengthened, while extension does the opposite. Looking forward, we expect this unique mechanism of interpenetration to provide a fresh perspective for designing and constructing mechanically tissue-like materials.
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16
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Abstract
The organization of microtubules (MTs) is critical for cells during interphase and mitosis. During mitotic spindle assembly, MTs are made and organized around chromosomes in a process regulated by RanGTP. The role of RanGTP has been explored in Xenopus egg extracts, which are not limited by a cell membrane. Here, we investigated whether cell-sized confinements affect the assembly of RanGTP-induced MT networks in Xenopus egg extracts. We used microfluidics to encapsulate extracts within monodisperse extract-in-oil droplets. Importantly, we find that the architecture of Ran-induced MT networks depends on the droplet diameter and the Ran concentration, and differs from structures formed in bulk extracts. Our results highlight that both MT nucleation and physical confinement play critical roles in determining the spatial organization of the MT cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Gai
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Brian Cook
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Sagar Setru
- Lewis-Sigler Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Sabine Petry
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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Mani N, Wijeratne SS, Subramanian R. Micron-scale geometrical features of microtubules as regulators of microtubule organization. eLife 2021; 10:e63880. [PMID: 34114950 PMCID: PMC8195601 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The organization of micron-sized, multi-microtubule arrays from individual microtubules is essential for diverse cellular functions. The microtubule polymer is largely viewed as a passive building block during the organization process. An exception is the 'tubulin code' where alterations to tubulin at the amino acid level can influence the activity of microtubule-associated proteins. Recent studies reveal that micron-scale geometrical features of individual microtubules and polymer networks, such as microtubule length, overlap length, contact angle, and lattice defects, can also regulate the activity of microtubule-associated proteins and modulate polymer dynamics. We discuss how the interplay between such geometrical properties of the microtubule lattice and the activity of associated proteins direct multiple aspects of array organization, from microtubule nucleation and coalignment to specification of array dimensions and remodeling of dynamic networks. The mechanisms reviewed here highlight micron-sized features of microtubules as critical parameters to be routinely investigated in the study of microtubule self-organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Mani
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Sithara S Wijeratne
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Radhika Subramanian
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
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18
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Lenne PF, Munro E, Heemskerk I, Warmflash A, Bocanegra-Moreno L, Kishi K, Kicheva A, Long Y, Fruleux A, Boudaoud A, Saunders TE, Caldarelli P, Michaut A, Gros J, Maroudas-Sacks Y, Keren K, Hannezo E, Gartner ZJ, Stormo B, Gladfelter A, Rodrigues A, Shyer A, Minc N, Maître JL, Di Talia S, Khamaisi B, Sprinzak D, Tlili S. Roadmap for the multiscale coupling of biochemical and mechanical signals during development. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 33276350 PMCID: PMC8380410 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abd0db] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The way in which interactions between mechanics and biochemistry lead to the emergence of complex cell and tissue organization is an old question that has recently attracted renewed interest from biologists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists. Rapid advances in optical physics, microscopy and computational image analysis have greatly enhanced our ability to observe and quantify spatiotemporal patterns of signalling, force generation, deformation, and flow in living cells and tissues. Powerful new tools for genetic, biophysical and optogenetic manipulation are allowing us to perturb the underlying machinery that generates these patterns in increasingly sophisticated ways. Rapid advances in theory and computing have made it possible to construct predictive models that describe how cell and tissue organization and dynamics emerge from the local coupling of biochemistry and mechanics. Together, these advances have opened up a wealth of new opportunities to explore how mechanochemical patterning shapes organismal development. In this roadmap, we present a series of forward-looking case studies on mechanochemical patterning in development, written by scientists working at the interface between the physical and biological sciences, and covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, organisms, and modes of development. Together, these contributions highlight the many ways in which the dynamic coupling of mechanics and biochemistry shapes biological dynamics: from mechanoenzymes that sense force to tune their activity and motor output, to collectives of cells in tissues that flow and redistribute biochemical signals during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-François Lenne
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Edwin Munro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Idse Heemskerk
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Aryeh Warmflash
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, United States of America
| | | | - Kasumi Kishi
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna Kicheva
- IST Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Yuchen Long
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Antoine Fruleux
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Arezki Boudaoud
- Reproduction et Dévelopement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, École normale supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INRAe, CNRS, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France.,LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Paolo Caldarelli
- Cellule Pasteur UPMC, Sorbonne Université, rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.,Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Arthur Michaut
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jerome Gros
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, Cedex 15, France.,CNRS UMR3738, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Yonit Maroudas-Sacks
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Kinneret Keren
- Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.,Network Biology Research Laboratories and The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Edouard Hannezo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Zev J Gartner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 600 16th St. Box 2280, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Stormo
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 United States of America
| | - Amy Gladfelter
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 United States of America
| | - Alan Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Amy Shyer
- Laboratory of Morphogenesis, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR7592, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934, Paris, France
| | - Stefano Di Talia
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC 27710, United States of America
| | - Bassma Khamaisi
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - David Sprinzak
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Sham Tlili
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, IBDM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
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19
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Ishihara K, Decker F, Caldas P, Pelletier JF, Loose M, Brugués J, Mitchison TJ. Spatial variation of microtubule depolymerization in large asters. Mol Biol Cell 2021; 32:869-879. [PMID: 33439671 PMCID: PMC8108532 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-11-0723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule plus-end depolymerization rate is a potentially important target of physiological regulation, but it has been challenging to measure, so its role in spatial organization is poorly understood. Here we apply a method for tracking plus ends based on time difference imaging to measure depolymerization rates in large interphase asters growing in Xenopus egg extract. We observed strong spatial regulation of depolymerization rates, which were higher in the aster interior compared with the periphery, and much less regulation of polymerization or catastrophe rates. We interpret these data in terms of a limiting component model, where aster growth results in lower levels of soluble tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) in the interior cytosol compared with that at the periphery. The steady-state polymer fraction of tubulin was ∼30%, so tubulin is not strongly depleted in the aster interior. We propose that the limiting component for microtubule assembly is a MAP that inhibits depolymerization, and that egg asters are tuned to low microtubule density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Ishihara
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Decker
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Paulo Caldas
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - James F Pelletier
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Cell Division Group, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543.,Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Martin Loose
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jan Brugués
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Timothy J Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Cell Division Group, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
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20
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Abstract
As cells grow, the size and number of their internal organelles increase in order to keep up with increased metabolic requirements. Abnormal size of organelles is a hallmark of cancer and an important aspect of diagnosis in cytopathology. Most organelles vary in either size or number, or both, as a function of cell size, but the mechanisms that create this variation remain unclear. In some cases, organelle size appears to scale with cell size through processes of relative growth, but in others the size may be set by either active measurement systems or genetic programs that instruct organelle biosynthetic activities to create organelles of a size appropriate to a given cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace F Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA;
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21
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Abstract
Centrosomes have a nonrandom localization in the cells: either they occupy the centroid of the zone free of the actomyosin cortex or they are shifted to the edge of the cell, where their presence is justified from a functional point of view, for example, to organize additional microtubules or primary cilia. This review discusses centrosome placement options in cultured and in situ cells. It has been proven that the central arrangement of centrosomes is due mainly to the pulling microtubules forces developed by dynein located on the cell cortex and intracellular vesicles. The pushing forces from dynamic microtubules and actomyosin also contribute, although the molecular mechanisms of their action have not yet been elucidated. Centrosomal displacement is caused by external cues, depending on signaling, and is drawn through the redistribution of dynein, the asymmetrization of microtubules through the capture of their plus ends, and the redistribution of actomyosin, which, in turn, is associated with basal-apical cell polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton V. Burakov
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Elena S. Nadezhdina
- Institute of Protein Research of Russian Academy of Science, Pushchino, 142290 Moscow Region, Russia
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22
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Ierushalmi N, Malik-Garbi M, Manhart A, Abu Shah E, Goode BL, Mogilner A, Keren K. Centering and symmetry breaking in confined contracting actomyosin networks. eLife 2020; 9:55368. [PMID: 32314730 PMCID: PMC7173961 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Centering and decentering of cellular components is essential for internal organization of cells and their ability to perform basic cellular functions such as division and motility. How cells achieve proper localization of their organelles is still not well-understood, especially in large cells such as oocytes. Here, we study actin-based positioning mechanisms in artificial cells with persistently contracting actomyosin networks, generated by encapsulating cytoplasmic Xenopus egg extracts into cell-sized ‘water-in-oil’ droplets. We observe size-dependent localization of the contraction center, with a symmetric configuration in larger cells and a polar one in smaller cells. Centering is achieved via a hydrodynamic mechanism based on Darcy friction between the contracting network and the surrounding cytoplasm. During symmetry breaking, transient attachments to the cell boundary drive the contraction center to a polar location. The centering mechanism is cell-cycle dependent and weakens considerably during interphase. Our findings demonstrate a robust, yet tunable, mechanism for subcellular localization. In order to survive, cells need to react to their environment and change their shape or the localization of their internal components. For example, the nucleus – the compartment that contains the genetic information – is often localized at the center of the cell, but it can also be positioned at the side, for instance when cells move or divide asymmetrically. Cells use multiple positioning mechanisms to move their internal components, including a process that relies on networks of filaments made of a protein known as actin. These networks are constantly remodeled as actin proteins are added and removed from the network. Embedded molecular motors can cause the network of actin filaments to contract and push or pull on the compartments. Yet, the exact way these networks localize components in the cell remains unclear, especially in eggs and other large cells. To investigate this question, Ierushalmi et al. studied the actin networks in artificial cells that they created by enclosing the contents of frog eggs in small droplets surrounded by oil. This showed that the networks contracted either to the center of the cell or to its side. Friction between the contracting actin network and the fluid in the cell generated a force that tends to push the contraction center towards the middle of the cell. In larger cells, this led to the centering of the actin network. In smaller cells however, the network transiently attached to the boundary of the cell, leading the contraction center to be pulled to one side. By developing simpler artificial cells that mimic the positioning processes seen in real-life cells, Ierushalmi et al. discovered new mechanisms for how cells may center or de-center their components. This knowledge may be useful to understand diseases that can emerge when the nucleus or other compartments fail to move to the right location, and which are associated with certain organs developing incorrectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niv Ierushalmi
- Department of Physics, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Maya Malik-Garbi
- Department of Physics, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Angelika Manhart
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enas Abu Shah
- Department of Physics, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce L Goode
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, United States
| | - Alex Mogilner
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Department of Biology, New York University, New York, United States
| | - Kinneret Keren
- Department of Physics, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Network Biology Research Laboratories and Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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23
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Keya JJ, Kudoh H, Kabir AMR, Inoue D, Miyamoto N, Tani T, Kakugo A, Shikinaka K. Radial alignment of microtubules through tubulin polymerization in an evaporating droplet. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231352. [PMID: 32275729 PMCID: PMC7147791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the formation of spherulites from droplets of highly concentrated tubulin solution via nucleation and subsequent polymerization to microtubules (MTs) under water evaporation by heating. Radial alignment of MTs in the spherulites was confirmed by the optical properties of the spherulites observed using polarized optical microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. Temperature and concentration of tubulins were found as important parameters to control the spherulite pattern formation of MTs where evaporation plays a significant role. The alignment of MTs was regulated reversibly by temperature induced polymerization and depolymerization of tubulins. The formation of the MTs patterns was also confirmed at the molecular level from the small angle X-ray measurements. This work provides a simple method for obtaining radially aligned arrays of MTs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroki Kudoh
- Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Daisuke Inoue
- Department of Human Science Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Miyamoto
- Department of Life, Environment and Materials Science, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tomomi Tani
- Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America
| | - Akira Kakugo
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
- * E-mail: (AK); (KS)
| | - Kazuhiro Shikinaka
- Research Institute for Chemical Process Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- * E-mail: (AK); (KS)
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24
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Iwao Y, Kimoto C, Fujimoto A, Suda A, Hara Y. Physiological polyspermy: Selection of a sperm nucleus for the development of diploid genomes in amphibians. Mol Reprod Dev 2020; 87:358-369. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Iwao
- Laboratory of Reproductive Developmental Biology, Division of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for InnovationYamaguchi University Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Japan
| | - Chihiro Kimoto
- Laboratory of Reproductive Developmental Biology, Division of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for InnovationYamaguchi University Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Japan
| | - Ayaka Fujimoto
- Laboratory of Reproductive Developmental Biology, Division of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for InnovationYamaguchi University Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Japan
| | - Asuka Suda
- Laboratory of Reproductive Developmental Biology, Division of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Chemistry, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for InnovationYamaguchi University Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Japan
| | - Yuki Hara
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Cell Biology, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Faculty of ScienceYamaguchi University Yamaguchi Yamaguchi Japan
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25
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Abstract
The microtubule and actin cytoskeletons generate forces essential to position centrosomes, nuclei, and spindles for division plane specification. While the largest body of work has documented force exertion at, or close to the cell surface, mounting evidence suggests that cytoskeletal polymers can also produce significant forces directly from within the cytoplasm. Molecular motors such as kinesin or dynein may for instance displace cargos and endomembranes in the viscous cytoplasm yielding friction forces that pull or push microtubules. Similarly, the dynamics of bulk actin assembly/disassembly or myosin-dependent contractions produce cytoplasmic forces which influence the spatial organization of cells in a variety of processes. We here review the molecular and physical mechanisms supporting bulk cytoplasmic force generation by the cytoskeleton, their limits and relevance to organelle positioning, with a particular focus on cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xie
- Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7592, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 7592, Paris, France
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26
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Abstract
This article summarizes recent progress on biomimetic subcellular structures and discusses integration of these isolated systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuying Yang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou 510632
- China
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou 510632
- China
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27
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Xie Q, Chen X, Wu T, Wang T, Cao Y, Granick S, Li Y, Jiang L. Synthetic asters as elastic and radial skeletons. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4954. [PMID: 31672981 PMCID: PMC6823511 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The radial geometry with rays radiated from a common core occurs ubiquitously in nature for its symmetry and functions. Herein, we report a class of synthetic asters with well-defined core-ray geometry that can function as elastic and radial skeletons to harbor nano- and microparticles. We fabricate the asters in a single, facile, and high-yield step that can be readily scaled up; specifically, amphiphilic gemini molecules self-assemble in water into asters with an amorphous core and divergently growing, twisted crystalline ribbons. The asters can spontaneously position microparticles in the cores, along the radial ribbons, or by the outer rims depending on particle sizes and surface chemistry. Their mechanical properties are determined on single- and multiple-aster levels. We further maneuver the synthetic asters as building blocks to form higher-order structures in virtue of aster-aster adhesion induced by ribbon intertwining. We envision the astral structures to act as rudimentary spatial organizers in nanoscience for coordinated multicomponent systems, possibly leading to emergent, synergistic functions. Nanosystems capable of organisation and the formation of structures are of interest in nanotechnology. Here, the authors report on synthetic asters made of gemini surfactant which are able to position microparticles based on size and chemical composition which can also be organised into higher order structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqiao Xie
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Xixi Chen
- Institute of Nanophotonics, Jinan University, 511443, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianli Wu
- Institute of Nanophotonics, Jinan University, 511443, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiankuo Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Department of Physics, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Department of Physics, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Steve Granick
- Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.,Departments of Chemistry and Physics, UNIST, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuchao Li
- Institute of Nanophotonics, Jinan University, 511443, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China. .,Center for Soft and Living Matter, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Verma V, Maresca TJ. Direct observation of branching MT nucleation in living animal cells. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:2829-2840. [PMID: 31340987 PMCID: PMC6719462 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201904114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Branching microtubule nucleation by its molecular mediators has never been directly observed in animal cells. By imaging augmin, γ-TuRC, and microtubules with high spatiotemporal resolution, Verma and Maresca quantitatively define the sequential steps of augmin-mediated branching microtubule nucleation in dividing Drosophila cells. Centrosome-mediated microtubule (MT) nucleation has been well characterized; however, numerous noncentrosomal MT nucleation mechanisms exist. The branching MT nucleation pathway envisages that the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) is recruited to MTs by the augmin complex to initiate nucleation of new MTs. While the pathway is well conserved at a molecular and functional level, branching MT nucleation by core constituents has never been directly observed in animal cells. Here, multicolor TIRF microscopy was applied to visualize and quantitatively define the entire process of branching MT nucleation in dividing Drosophila cells during anaphase. The steps of a stereotypical branching nucleation event entailed augmin binding to a mother MT and recruitment of γ-TuRC after 15 s, followed by nucleation 16 s later of a daughter MT at a 36° branch angle. Daughters typically remained attached throughout their ∼40-s lifetime unless the mother depolymerized past the branch point. Assembly of branched MT arrays, which did not require Drosophila TPX2, enhanced localized RhoA activation during cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Verma
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
| | - Thomas J Maresca
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA .,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
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29
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Sallé J, Xie J, Ershov D, Lacassin M, Dmitrieff S, Minc N. Asymmetric division through a reduction of microtubule centering forces. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:771-782. [PMID: 30563876 PMCID: PMC6400563 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201807102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric divisions are essential for the generation of cell fate and size diversity. They implicate cortical domains where minus end-directed motors, such as dynein, are activated to pull on microtubules to decenter asters attached to centrosomes, nuclei, or spindles. In asymmetrically dividing cells, aster decentration typically follows a centering phase, suggesting a time-dependent regulation in the competition between microtubule centering and decentering forces. Using symmetrically dividing sea urchin zygotes, we generated cortical domains of magnetic particles that spontaneously cluster endogenous dynein activity. These domains efficiently attract asters and nuclei, yielding marked asymmetric divisions. Remarkably, aster decentration only occurred after asters had first reached the cell center. Using intracellular force measurement and models, we demonstrate that this time-regulated imbalance results from a global reduction of centering forces rather than a local maturation of dynein activity at the domain. Those findings define a novel paradigm for the regulation of division asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Sallé
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Jing Xie
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Dmitry Ershov
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Milan Lacassin
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Serge Dmitrieff
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
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30
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Abstract
Proper positioning of the mitotic spindle is fundamental for specifying the site for cleavage furrow, and thus regulates the appropriate sizes and accurate distribution of the cell fate determinants in the resulting daughter cells during development and in the stem cells. The past couple of years have witnessed tremendous work accomplished in the area of spindle positioning, and this has led to the emergence of a working model unravelling in-depth mechanistic insight of the underlying process orchestrating spindle positioning. It is evident now that the correct positioning of the mitotic spindle is not only guided by the chemical cues (protein⁻protein interactions) but also influenced by the physical nature of the cellular environment. In metazoans, the key players that regulate proper spindle positioning are the actin-rich cell cortex and associated proteins, the ternary complex (Gα/GPR-1/2/LIN-5 in Caenorhabditis elegans, Gαi/Pins/Mud in Drosophila and Gαi1-3/LGN/NuMA in humans), minus-end-directed motor protein dynein and the cortical machinery containing myosin. In this review, I will mainly discuss how the abovementioned components precisely and spatiotemporally regulate spindle positioning by sensing the physicochemical environment for execution of flawless mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Kotak
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology (MCB), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore 560012, India.
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31
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Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) are essential for cleavage furrow positioning during cytokinesis, but the mechanisms by which MT-derived signals spatially define regions of cortical contractility are unresolved. In this study cytokinesis regulators visualized in Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) cells were found to localize to and track MT plus-ends during cytokinesis. The RhoA GEF Pebble (Dm ECT2) did not evidently tip-track, but rather localized rapidly to cortical sites contacted by MT plus-tips, resulting in RhoA activation and enrichment of myosin-regulatory light chain. The MT plus-end localization of centralspindlin was compromised following EB1 depletion, which resulted in a higher incidence of cytokinesis failure. Centralspindlin plus-tip localization depended on the C-terminus and a putative EB1-interaction motif (hxxPTxh) in RacGAP50C. We propose that MT plus-end-associated centralspindlin recruits a cortical pool of Dm ECT2 upon physical contact to activate RhoA and to trigger localized contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Verma
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
| | - Thomas J Maresca
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States
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32
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Ershov D, Minc N. Modeling Embryonic Cleavage Patterns. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1920:393-406. [PMID: 30737705 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9009-2_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The division patterns of early invertebrate and vertebrate embryos are key to the specification of cell fates and embryo body axes. We here describe a generic computational modeling method to quantitatively test mechanisms which specify successive division position and orientation of eggs and early blastomeres in 3D. This approach should serve to motivate and guide future experimental work on the mechanisms controlling early embryo morphogenesis.
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33
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Abstract
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.
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34
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Abstract
Mitosis is controlled by reversible protein phosphorylation involving specific kinases and phosphatases. A handful of major mitotic protein kinases, such as the cyclin B-CDK1 complex, the Aurora kinases, and Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), cooperatively regulate distinct mitotic processes. Research has identified proteins and mechanisms that integrate these kinases into signaling cascades that guide essential mitotic events. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the mechanisms of mitotic regulation and may advance the development of novel antimitotic drugs. We review collected evidence that in vertebrates, the Aurora kinases serve as catalytic subunits of distinct complexes formed with the four scaffold proteins Bora, CEP192, INCENP, and TPX2, which we deem "core" Aurora cofactors. These complexes and the Aurora-PLK1 cascades organized by Bora, CEP192, and INCENP control crucial aspects of mitosis and all pathways of spindle assembly. We compare the mechanisms of Aurora activation in relation to the different spindle assembly pathways and draw a functional analogy between the CEP192 complex and the chromosomal passenger complex that may reflect the coevolution of centrosomes, kinetochores, and the actomyosin cleavage apparatus. We also analyze the roles and mechanisms of Aurora-PLK1 signaling in the cell and centrosome cycles and in the DNA damage response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Joukov
- N.N. Petrov National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Saint-Petersburg 197758, Russian Federation.
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35
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Tanimoto H, Sallé J, Dodin L, Minc N. Physical Forces Determining the Persistency and Centering Precision of Microtubule Asters. Nat Phys 2018; 14:848-854. [PMID: 30079097 PMCID: PMC6071857 DOI: 10.1038/s41567-018-0154-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In early embryos, microtubules form star-shaped aster structures that can measure up to hundreds of micrometres, and move at high speeds to find the geometrical centre of the cell. This process, known as aster centration, is essential for the fidelity of cell division and development, but how cells succeed in moving these large structures through their crowded and fluctuating cytoplasm remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the positional fluctuations of migrating sea urchin sperm asters are small, anisotropic, and associated with the stochasticity of dynein-dependent forces moving the aster. Using in vivo magnetic tweezers to directly measure aster forces inside cells, we derive a linear aster force-velocity relationship and provide evidence for a spring-like active mechanism stabilizing the transverse position of the asters. The large frictional coefficient and spring constant quantitatively account for the amplitude and growth characteristics of athermal positional fluctuations, demonstrating that aster mechanics ensure noise suppression to promote persistent and precise centration. These findings define generic biophysical regimes of active cytoskeletal mechanics underlying the accuracy of cell division and early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Tanimoto
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Jeremy Sallé
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Louise Dodin
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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36
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Haupt A, Minc N. How cells sense their own shape - mechanisms to probe cell geometry and their implications in cellular organization and function. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:131/6/jcs214015. [PMID: 29581183 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.214015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells come in a variety of shapes that most often underlie their functions. Regulation of cell morphogenesis implies that there are mechanisms for shape sensing that still remain poorly appreciated. Global and local cell geometry features, such as aspect ratio, size or membrane curvature, may be probed by intracellular modules, such as the cytoskeleton, reaction-diffusion systems or molecular complexes. In multicellular tissues, cell shape emerges as an important means to transduce tissue-inherent chemical and mechanical cues into intracellular organization. One emergent paradigm is that cell-shape sensing is most often based upon mechanisms of self-organization, rather than determinism. Here, we review relevant work that has elucidated some of the core principles of how cellular geometry may be conveyed into spatial information to guide processes, such as polarity, signaling, morphogenesis and division-plane positioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Haupt
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Nicolas Minc
- Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS UMR7592 and Université Paris Diderot, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
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37
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Abstract
Meiosis produces haploid gametes by accurately reducing chromosome ploidy through one round of DNA replication and two subsequent rounds of chromosome segregation and cell division. The cell divisions of female meiosis are highly asymmetric and give rise to a large egg and two very small polar bodies that do not contribute to development. These asymmetric divisions are driven by meiotic spindles that are small relative to the size of the egg and have one pole juxtaposed against the cell cortex to promote polar body extrusion. An additional unique feature of female meiosis is that fertilization occurs before extrusion of the second polar body in nearly all animal species. Thus sperm-derived chromosomes are present in the egg during female meiosis. Here, we explore the idea that the asymmetry of female meiosis spatially separates the sperm from the meiotic spindle to prevent detrimental interactions between the spindle and the paternal chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle T Panzica
- a Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology , University of California , Davis , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Francis J McNally
- a Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology , University of California , Davis , Davis , CA , USA
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38
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Abstract
During cytokinesis, the mitotic spindle communicates with the cell cortex to position a cleavage furrow that will cut through the cell in the plane defined by the metaphase plate. We investigated the molecular basis of this communication in Xenopus laevis eggs, where the signal has to travel ∼400 µm in ∼30 min to reach the cortex from the first anaphase spindle. At anaphase onset, huge microtubule asters grow out from the poles of the spindle and meet at the plane previously defined by the metaphase plate. This disc-shaped boundary plane recruits the chromosome passenger complex (CPC) and centralspindlin to antiparallel microtubule bundles. It grows out to the cell cortex as the asters expand, where it induces the furrow. CPC and centralspindlin were not recruited to boundaries between asters from different spindles, suggesting a role of chromatin in triggering the CPC-positive state. Recruitment of CPC to aster boundaries was reconstituted in an extract system, and we observed that recruitment was stimulated by proximity to chromatin. Finally, we discuss models for molecular processes involved in initiation and growth of the CPC-positive disc that communicates the position of the metaphase plate to the cortex over hundreds of micrometers in frog eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
| | - Christine M Field
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
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39
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Shi Y, Su Y, Lipschutz JH, Lobo GP. Zebrafish as models to study ciliopathies of the eye and kidney. Clin Nephrol Res 2017; 1:6-9. [PMID: 29553143 PMCID: PMC5851006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cilia are highly-conserved organelles projecting from the cell surface of nearly every cell type in vertebrates. Ciliary proteins have essential functions in human physiology, particularly in signaling and organ development. As cilia are a component of almost all vertebrate cells, cilia dysfunction can manifest as a constellation of features that characteristically include, retinal degeneration, renal disease and cerebral anomalies. The terminology "Ciliopathies" refers to inherited human disorders caused by genetic mutations in ciliary genes, leading to cilia dysfunctions that form an important and ever expanding multi-organ disease spectrum. Ciliopathies are a diverse class of congenital diseases, with twenty-four recognized syndromes caused by mutations in at least ninety different genes. In order to start to dissect the phenotypes of each disease associated with ciliary dysfunction it is necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying the phenotype using suitable animal models. Here, we review the advantages of the zebrafish as a vertebrate model for human ciliopathies, with a focus on ciliopathies affecting the eye and the kidney.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shi
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA,Eye Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Yanhui Su
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Joshua H. Lipschutz
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Glenn P. Lobo
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA,Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA,Correspondence: Glenn P Lobo, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA, Tel: 843-876-2371;
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40
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Nguyen PA, Field CM, Mitchison TJ. Prc1E and Kif4A control microtubule organization within and between large Xenopus egg asters. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 29:304-316. [PMID: 29187577 PMCID: PMC5996955 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-09-0540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The cleavage furrow in Xenopus zygotes is positioned by two large microtubule asters that grow out from the poles of the first mitotic spindle. Where these asters meet at the midplane, they assemble a disk-shaped interaction zone consisting of anti-parallel microtubule bundles coated with chromosome passenger complex (CPC) and centralspindlin that instructs the cleavage furrow. Here we investigate the mechanism that keeps the two asters separate and forms a distinct boundary between them, focusing on the conserved cytokinesis midzone proteins Prc1 and Kif4A. Prc1E, the egg orthologue of Prc1, and Kif4A were recruited to anti-parallel bundles at interaction zones between asters in Xenopus egg extracts. Prc1E was required for Kif4A recruitment but not vice versa. Microtubule plus-end growth slowed and terminated preferentially within interaction zones, resulting in a block to interpenetration that depended on both Prc1E and Kif4A. Unexpectedly, Prc1E and Kif4A were also required for radial order of large asters growing in isolation, apparently to compensate for the direction-randomizing influence of nucleation away from centrosomes. We propose that Prc1E and Kif4, together with catastrophe factors, promote "anti-parallel pruning" that enforces radial organization within asters and generates boundaries to microtubule growth between asters.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Nguyen
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
| | - C M Field
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
| | - T J Mitchison
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 .,Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
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41
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Howard J, Garzon-Coral C. Physical Limits on the Precision of Mitotic Spindle Positioning by Microtubule Pushing forces: Mechanics of mitotic spindle positioning. Bioessays 2017; 39:10.1002/bies.201700122. [PMID: 28960439 PMCID: PMC5698852 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Tissues are shaped and patterned by mechanical and chemical processes. A key mechanical process is the positioning of the mitotic spindle, which determines the size and location of the daughter cells within the tissue. Recent force and position-fluctuation measurements indicate that pushing forces, mediated by the polymerization of astral microtubules against- the cell cortex, maintain the mitotic spindle at the cell center in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. The magnitude of the centering forces suggests that the physical limit on the accuracy and precision of this centering mechanism is determined by the number of pushing microtubules rather than by thermally driven fluctuations. In cells that divide asymmetrically, anti-centering, pulling forces generated by cortically located dyneins, in conjunction with microtubule depolymerization, oppose the pushing forces to drive spindle displacements away from the center. Thus, a balance of centering pushing forces and anti-centering pulling forces localize the mitotic spindles within dividing C. elegans cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon Howard
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Carlos Garzon-Coral
- Shriram Center for Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
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42
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Abstract
Microtubules switch between growing and shrinking states, a feature known as dynamic instability. The biochemical parameters underlying dynamic instability are modulated by a wide variety of microtubule-associated proteins that enable the strict control of microtubule dynamics in cells. The forces generated by controlled growth and shrinkage of microtubules drive a large range of processes, including organelle positioning, mitotic spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation. In the past decade, our understanding of microtubule dynamics and microtubule force generation has progressed significantly. Here, we review the microtubule-intrinsic process of dynamic instability, the effect of external factors on this process, and how the resulting forces act on various biological systems. Recently, reconstitution-based approaches have strongly benefited from extensive biochemical and biophysical characterization of individual components that are involved in regulating or transmitting microtubule-driven forces. We will focus on the current state of reconstituting increasingly complex biological systems and provide new directions for future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathijs Vleugel
- a Department of Bionanoscience , Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft Institute of Technology , Delft , The Netherlands
| | - Maurits Kok
- a Department of Bionanoscience , Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft Institute of Technology , Delft , The Netherlands
| | - Marileen Dogterom
- a Department of Bionanoscience , Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft Institute of Technology , Delft , The Netherlands
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43
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Barbosa DJ, Duro J, Prevo B, Cheerambathur DK, Carvalho AX, Gassmann R. Dynactin binding to tyrosinated microtubules promotes centrosome centration in C. elegans by enhancing dynein-mediated organelle transport. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006941. [PMID: 28759579 PMCID: PMC5552355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The microtubule-based motor dynein generates pulling forces for centrosome centration and mitotic spindle positioning in animal cells. How the essential dynein activator dynactin regulates these functions of the motor is incompletely understood. Here, we dissect the role of dynactin's microtubule binding activity, located in the p150 CAP-Gly domain and an adjacent basic patch, in the C. elegans zygote. Analysis of p150 mutants engineered by genome editing suggests that microtubule tip tracking of dynein-dynactin is dispensable for targeting the motor to the cell cortex and for generating robust cortical pulling forces. Instead, mutations in p150's CAP-Gly domain inhibit cytoplasmic pulling forces responsible for centration of centrosomes and attached pronuclei. The centration defects are mimicked by mutations of α-tubulin's C-terminal tyrosine, and both p150 CAP-Gly and tubulin tyrosine mutants decrease the frequency of early endosome transport from the cell periphery towards centrosomes during centration. Our results suggest that p150 GAP-Gly domain binding to tyrosinated microtubules promotes initiation of dynein-mediated organelle transport in the dividing one-cell embryo, and that this function of p150 is critical for generating cytoplasmic pulling forces for centrosome centration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Barbosa
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Duro
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bram Prevo
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research/Dept of Cellular & Molecular Medicine UCSD, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Dhanya K. Cheerambathur
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research/Dept of Cellular & Molecular Medicine UCSD, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Ana X. Carvalho
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Reto Gassmann
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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44
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Pierre A, Sallé J, Wühr M, Minc N. Generic Theoretical Models to Predict Division Patterns of Cleaving Embryos. Dev Cell 2016; 39:667-682. [PMID: 27997824 PMCID: PMC5180451 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2016.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Life for all animals starts with a precise 3D choreography of reductive divisions of the fertilized egg, known as cleavage patterns. These patterns exhibit conserved geometrical features and striking interspecies invariance within certain animal classes. To identify the generic rules that may govern these morphogenetic events, we developed a 3D-modeling framework that iteratively infers blastomere division positions and orientations, and consequent multicellular arrangements. From a minimal set of parameters, our model predicts detailed features of cleavage patterns in the embryos of fishes, amphibians, echinoderms, and ascidians, as well as the genetic and physical perturbations that alter these patterns. This framework demonstrates that a geometrical system based on length-dependent microtubule forces that probe blastomere shape and yolk gradients, biased by cortical polarity domains, may dictate division patterns and overall embryo morphogenesis. These studies thus unravel the default self-organization rules governing early embryogenesis and how they are altered by deterministic regulatory layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaëlle Pierre
- CNRS UMR 7592, Institut Jacques Monod, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Jérémy Sallé
- CNRS UMR 7592, Institut Jacques Monod, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
| | - Martin Wühr
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Nicolas Minc
- CNRS UMR 7592, Institut Jacques Monod, 15 rue Hélène Brion, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France.
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45
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Khetan N, Athale CA. A Motor-Gradient and Clustering Model of the Centripetal Motility of MTOCs in Meiosis I of Mouse Oocytes. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005102. [PMID: 27706163 PMCID: PMC5051731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Asters nucleated by Microtubule (MT) organizing centers (MTOCs) converge on chromosomes during spindle assembly in mouse oocytes undergoing meiosis I. Time-lapse imaging suggests that this centripetal motion is driven by a biased 'search-and-capture' mechanism. Here, we develop a model of a random walk in a drift field to test the nature of the bias and the spatio-temporal dynamics of the search process. The model is used to optimize the spatial field of drift in simulations, by comparison to experimental motility statistics. In a second step, this optimized gradient is used to determine the location of immobilized dynein motors and MT polymerization parameters, since these are hypothesized to generate the gradient of forces needed to move MTOCs. We compare these scenarios to self-organized mechanisms by which asters have been hypothesized to find the cell-center- MT pushing at the cell-boundary and clustering motor complexes. By minimizing the error between simulation outputs and experiments, we find a model of "pulling" by a gradient of dynein motors alone can drive the centripetal motility. Interestingly, models of passive MT based "pushing" at the cortex, clustering by cross-linking motors and MT-dynamic instability gradients alone, by themselves do not result in the observed motility. The model predicts the sensitivity of the results to motor density and stall force, but not MTs per aster. A hybrid model combining a chromatin-centered immobilized dynein gradient, diffusible minus-end directed clustering motors and pushing at the cell cortex, is required to comprehensively explain the available data. The model makes experimentally testable predictions of a spatial bias and self-organized mechanisms by which MT asters can find the center of a large cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Khetan
- Division of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Chaitanya A. Athale
- Division of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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46
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Abstract
Animal cells undergo dramatic changes in shape, mechanics and polarity as they progress through the different stages of cell division. These changes begin at mitotic entry, with cell-substrate adhesion remodelling, assembly of a cortical actomyosin network and osmotic swelling, which together enable cells to adopt a near spherical form even when growing in a crowded tissue environment. These shape changes, which probably aid spindle assembly and positioning, are then reversed at mitotic exit to restore the interphase cell morphology. Here, we discuss the dynamics, regulation and function of these processes, and how cell shape changes and sister chromatid segregation are coupled to ensure that the daughter cells generated through division receive their fair inheritance.
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47
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Abstract
Cilia are microtubule-based protrusions on the surface of most eukaryotic cells. They are found in most, if not all, vertebrate organs. Prominent cilia form in sensory structures, the eye, the ear, and the nose, where they are crucial for the detection of environmental stimuli, such as light and odors. Cilia are also involved in developmental processes, including left-right asymmetry formation, limb morphogenesis, and the patterning of neurons in the neural tube. Some cilia, such as those found in nephric ducts, are thought to have mechanosensory roles. Zebrafish proved very useful in genetic analysis and imaging of cilia-related processes, and in the modeling of mechanisms behind human cilia abnormalities, known as ciliopathies. A number of zebrafish defects resemble those seen in human ciliopathies. Forward and reverse genetic strategies generated a wide range of cilia mutants in zebrafish, which can be studied using sophisticated genetic and imaging approaches. In this chapter, we provide a set of protocols to examine cilia morphology, motility, and cilia-related defects in a variety of organs, focusing on the embryo and early postembryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Leventea
- The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - K Hazime
- The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - C Zhao
- The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - J Malicki
- The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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48
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Abstract
Although mechanisms that contribute to microtubule (MT) aster positioning have been extensively studied, still little is known on how asters move inside cells to faithfully target a cellular location. Here, we study sperm aster centration in sea urchin eggs, as a stereotypical large-scale aster movement with extreme constraints on centering speed and precision. By tracking three-dimensional aster centration dynamics in eggs with manipulated shapes, we show that aster geometry resulting from MT growth and interaction with cell boundaries dictates aster instantaneous directionality, yielding cell shape-dependent centering trajectories. Aster laser surgery and modeling suggest that dynein-dependent MT cytoplasmic pulling forces that scale to MT length function to convert aster geometry into directionality. In contrast, aster speed remains largely independent of aster size, shape, or absolute dynein activity, which suggests it may be predominantly determined by aster growth rate rather than MT force amplitude. These studies begin to define the geometrical principles that control aster movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Akatsuki Kimura
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima 411-8540, Japan National Institute of Genetics, Mishima 411-8540, Japan Institut Curie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 144, 75248 Paris, France
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49
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Negishi T, Yasuo H. Distinct modes of mitotic spindle orientation align cells in the dorsal midline of ascidian embryos. Dev Biol 2015; 408:66-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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50
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Mary H, Fouchard J, Gay G, Reyes C, Gauthier T, Gruget C, Pécréaux J, Tournier S, Gachet Y. Fission yeast kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression independently of oscillations. J Cell Sci 2015; 128:3720-30. [PMID: 26359299 PMCID: PMC4631777 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.160465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In higher eukaryotes, efficient chromosome congression relies, among other players, on the activity of chromokinesins. Here, we provide a quantitative analysis of kinetochore oscillations and positioning in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a model organism lacking chromokinesins. In wild-type cells, chromosomes align during prophase and, while oscillating, maintain this alignment throughout metaphase. Chromosome oscillations are dispensable both for kinetochore congression and stable kinetochore alignment during metaphase. In higher eukaryotes, kinesin-8 family members control chromosome congression by regulating their oscillations. By contrast, here, we demonstrate that fission yeast kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression by an alternative mechanism. We propose that kinesin-8 aligns chromosomes by controlling pulling forces in a length-dependent manner. A coarse-grained model of chromosome segregation implemented with a length-dependent process that controls the force at kinetochores is necessary and sufficient to mimic kinetochore alignment, and prevents the appearance of lagging chromosomes. Taken together, these data illustrate how the local action of a motor protein at kinetochores provides spatial cues within the spindle to align chromosomes and to prevent aneuploidy. Highlighted Article: Quantitative analysis in S. pombe reveals that chromosome oscillations are dispensable for kinetochore congression in mitosis. Kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression through length-dependent pulling forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadrien Mary
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Jonathan Fouchard
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Guillaume Gay
- DAMCB, 43 rue Horace Bertin, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Céline Reyes
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Tiphaine Gauthier
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Clémence Gruget
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Jacques Pécréaux
- IGDR, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, University Rennes 1, Rennes F-35043, France
| | - Sylvie Tournier
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
| | - Yannick Gachet
- Université de Toulouse, LBCMCP, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse F-31062, France CNRS, LBCMCP-UMR5088, Toulouse F-31062, France
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