Cytokinesis requires a dramatic remodeling of the cortical cytoskeleton as well as membrane addition. The Drosophila pericentrosomal protein, Nuclear-fallout (Nuf), provides a link between these two processes. In nuf-derived embryos, actin remodeling and membrane recruitment during the initial stages of metaphase and cellular furrow formation are disrupted. Nuf is a homologue of arfophilin-2, an ADP ribosylation factor effector that binds Rab11 and influences recycling endosome (RE) organization. Here, we show that Nuf is an important component of the RE, and that these phenotypes are a consequence of Nuf activities at the RE. Nuf exhibits extensive colocalization with Rab11, a key RE component. GST pull-downs and the presence of a conserved Rab11-binding domain in Nuf demonstrate that Nuf and Rab11 physically associate. In addition, Nuf and Rab11 are mutually required for their localization to the RE. Embryos with reduced levels of Rab11 produce membrane recruitment and actin remodeling defects strikingly similar to nuf-derived embryos. These analyses support a common role for Nuf and Rab11 at the RE in membrane trafficking and actin remodeling during the initial stages of furrow formation.
INTRODUCTIONA number of techniques are available for fixation of Drosophila embryos, each with their own advantages and limitations. The technique appropriate for a specific study will depend on a number of variables, including the preservation qualities of the cellular components to be examined, the position of the components within the embryos, and the probe used. Formaldehyde-based techniques are useful for preserving deep and/or cytoskeletal elements. Fixation with methanol or boiling is harsher, but both result in nearly total devitellinization of the embryos. Fixation without methanol requires devitellinization of the embryos by hand. While the most tedious, this latter method often produces the highest-quality results. It may be necessary to try all of these techniques to determine which one is the most appropriate for each new antibody or reagent.
In a number of embryonic systems, centrosomes that have lost their association with the nuclear envelope and spindle maintain their ability to duplicate and induce astral microtubules. To identify additional activities of free centrosomes, we monitored astral microtubule dynamics by injecting living syncytial Drosophila embryos with fluorescently labeled tubulin. Our recordings follow multiple rounds of free centrosome duplication and separation during the cortical division. The rate and distance of free sister centrosome separation corresponds well with the initial phase of associated centrosome separation. However, the later phase of separation observed for centrosomes associated with a spindle (anaphase B) does not occur. Free centrosome separation regularly occurs on a plane parallel to the plasma membrane. While previous work demonstrated that centrosomes influence cytoskeletal dynamics, this observation suggests that the cortical cytoskeleton regulates the orientation of centrosome separation. Although free centrosomes do not form spindles, they display relatively normal cell cycle-dependent modulations of their astral microtubules. In addition, free centrosome duplication, separation, and modulation of microtubule dynamics often occur in synchrony with neighboring associated centrosomes. These observations suggest that free centrosomes respond normally to local nuclear division signals. Disruption of the cortical nuclear divisions with aphidicolin supports this conclusion; large numbers of abnormal nuclei recede into the interior while their centrosomes remain on the cortex. Following individual free centrosomes through multiple focal planes for 45 min after the injection of aphidicolin reveals that they do not undergo normal modulation of their astral dynamics nor do they undergo multiple rounds of duplication and separation. We conclude that in the absence of normally dividing cortical nuclei many centrosome activities are disrupted and centrosome duplication is extensively delayed. This indicates the presence of a feedback mechanism that creates a dependency relationship between the cortical nuclear cycles and the centrosome cycles.
discontinuous actin hexagon (dah) is a maternal-effect gene essential for the formation of cortical furrows during Drosophila embryogenesis, and DAH protein colocalizes with actin in these furrows. Biochemical fractionation experiments presented here demonstrate that DAH is highly enriched in the membrane fraction and that its membrane association is resistant to high-salt and alkaline washes. Furthermore, it partitions into the detergent phase of the Triton X-114 solution, indicating its tight binding to the membranes. DAH can also interact with the actin cytoskeleton, because a fraction of DAH remains insoluble to nonionic detergent along with actin. These biochemical characterizations suggest that DAH may play a role in the linkage of the actin cytoskeleton to membranes. Using phosphatase inhibitors, we detected multiple phosphorylated forms of DAH in embryonic extracts. The DAH phosphorylation peaks during cellularization, a stage at which DAH function is critical. A kinase activity is coimmunoprecipitated with the DAH complex and hyperphosphorylates DAH in vitro. Purified casein kinase I can also hyperphosphorylate DAH in the immune complex. Both DAH localization and phosphorylation are disrupted in another maternal-effect mutant, nuclear-fallout. It is possible that nuclear-fallout collaborates with dah and directs DAH protein localization to the cortical furrows.
INTRODUCTIONA number of factors make the early Drosophila embryo particularly amenable to cellular analysis. First, large numbers of specifically staged embryos are easily collected from normal and mutant stocks. Also, the morphological and cellular events of embryogenesis have been characterized extensively. For example, directly after fertilization, the embryo proceeds through a series of rapid nuclear divisions that rely on the highly coordinated dynamics of the microtubules, microfilaments, and other cytoskeletal components. During this time, critical events that establish the axis and patterning in the embryo occur. These events have been thoroughly described and provide an excellent resource in which to analyze the primary cellular defect in newly isolated mutations. Analysis of fixed samples allows many more embryos to be examined in a single session on the microscope, and the fixed preparations are stable for long periods. If fluorescent probes are used, anti-quenching reagents in the mounting media allow extensive documentation of the samples without signal deterioration. Double- and triple-labeling for colocalization studies are easily performed. Finally, images can be recorded from fixed samples over multiple planes for three-dimensional reconstructions. This protocol describes the most common and generally applicable procedure for collecting Drosophila embryos for fixed cellular analysis.
nuclear fallout (nuf) is a maternal effect mutation that specifically disrupts the cortical syncytial divisions during Drosophila embryogenesis. We show that the nuf gene encodes a highly phosphorylated novel protein of 502 amino acids with C-terminal regions predicted to form coiled-coils. During prophase of the late syncytial divisions, Nuf concentrates at the centrosomes and is generally cytoplasmic throughout the rest of the nuclear cycle. In nuf-derived embryos, the recruitment of actin from caps to furrows during prophase is disrupted. This results in incomplete metaphase furrows specifically in regions distant from the centrosomes. The nuf mutation does not disrupt anillin or peanut recruitment to the metaphase furrows indicating that Nuf is not involved in the signaling of metaphase furrow formation. These results also suggest that anillin and peanut localization are independent of actin localization to the metaphase furrows. nuf also disrupts the initial stages of cellularization and produces disruptions in cellularization furrows similar to those observed in the metaphase furrows. The localization of Nuf to centrosomal regions throughout cellularization suggests that it plays a similar role in the initial formation of both metaphase and cellularization furrows. A model is presented in which Nuf provides a functional link between centrosomes and microfilaments.
INTRODUCTIONEarly Drosophila embryos are particularly amenable to cellular analysis. However, they are protected by an outer chorion layer, as well as an impermeable and opaque vitelline membrane. Consequently, preparation of Drosophila embryos for fixed-sample analysis must include procedures for chorion removal, vitelline membrane permeabilization, fixation, and finally, vitelline membrane removal. This protocol describes a method for removing the chorion layer.
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