Giant meiotic spindles in males from <i>Drosophila</i> species with giant sperm tails

Lattao, Ramona; Bonaccorsi, Silvia; Gatti, Maurizio

doi:10.1242/dev.081554

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…To date, all spindle scaling data is derived from mitotic spindle measurements [1–4] with the exception of data from male meiosis in Drosophila [23] and studies using unfertilized X. laevis egg cytoplasm, which recapitulates meiotic spindle assembly in vitro using demembranated sperm nuclei [2,7,24]. To examine female meiotic spindle features more broadly we fixed, stained and imaged eggs from ten organisms representing six different phyla (Figure 3A).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Analysis of Spindle Morphometrics across Metazoans

et al. 2015

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Summary Cell division in all eukaryotes depends on function of the spindle, a microtubule-based structure that segregates chromosomes to generate daughter cells in mitosis or haploid gametes in meiosis. Spindle size adapts to changes in cell size and shape, which vary dramatically across species and within a multicellular organism, but the nature of scaling events and their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Cell size variations are most pronounced in early animal development, as egg diameters range from tens of microns up to millimeters across animal phyla, and decrease several orders of magnitude during rapid reductive divisions. During early embryogenesis in the model organisms X. laevis and C. elegans, the spindle scales with cell size [1,2], a phenomenon regulated by molecules that modulate microtubule dynamics [3–6], as well as by limiting cytoplasmic volume [7,8]. However, it is not known to what extent spindle scaling is conserved across organisms and among different cell types. Here we show that in a range of metazoan phyla, mitotic spindle length decreased with cell size across a ~30 fold difference in zygote size. Maximum spindle length varied, but linear spindle scaling occurred similarly in all species once embryonic cell diameter reduced to 140 μm. In contrast, we find that the female meiotic spindle does not scale as closely to egg size, adopting a more uniform size across species that likely reflects its specialized function. Our analysis reveals that spindle morphometrics change abruptly, within one cell cycle, at the transition from meiosis to mitosis in most animals.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparative Analysis of Spindle Morphometrics across Metazoans

et al. 2015

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“…In contrast, in the other D. melanogaster cell types, metaphase chromosomes occupy the entire equatorial region of the spindle or even protrude from the spindle (Fig. 3; [30]). A recent study provided a likely explanation for the disproportionate MT content of male meiotic spindles.…”

Section: Spindle Formation In Meiotic Cells Of Drosophila Malesmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Cytological analysis of male meiosis in six different Drosophila species that exhibit dramatic differences in sperm tail length (e.g. 0.3 mm in Drosophila persimilis, 1.8 mm in Drosophila melanogaster, and 58.3 mm in Drosophila bifurca) showed that these species also exhibit striking variations in meiotic spindle size [30]. These variations positively correlate with sperm length, with D. bifurca showing a 30-fold larger spindle than D. persimilis.…”

Section: Spindle Formation In Meiotic Cells Of Drosophila Malesmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In metaphase I figures chromosomes appear as a small mass at the center of a large bipolar MT assembly (Fig. 3; [30] and references therein). In contrast, in the other D. melanogaster cell types, metaphase chromosomes occupy the entire equatorial region of the spindle or even protrude from the spindle (Fig.…”

Section: Spindle Formation In Meiotic Cells Of Drosophila Malesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relative roles of centrosomal and kinetochore-driven microtubules in Drosophila spindle formation

Gatti

Bucciarelli

Lattao

et al. 2012

Experimental Cell Research

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“…For example, in telophase I and II, the meiotic spindle is about 27 and 20 lm, respectively [Lattao and Bonaccorsi, 2012].…”

Section: Component Of Chromosomal Passenger Complexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytokinesis inDrosophila melanogaster

Cabernard

2012

Cytoskeleton

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Cytokinesis is the process that physically separates two sibling cells, ensuring the proper partitioning of the nuclear and cytoplasmic contents at the end of cell division. Cytokinesis requires a fine-tuned molecular machinery that has to be assembled with high spatiotemporal precision. Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model system to investigate this cellular process. Genetic screens performed in spermatocytes, neuroblasts, and Schneider cells revealed numerous evolutionary conserved components. These genetically amenable systems have proven to be very useful to further elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism of cytokinesis, significantly contributing to our current understanding of this important cellular process. As in other organisms, cytokinesis is largely dependent on the mitotic spindle, providing positional cues for cleavage furrow placement and progression. However, spindle-independent mechanisms could also be important during special cases of cytokinesis, such as asymmetric cell division. Thus, powerful fly genetics combined with single-cell analysis, live imaging, and biochemical assays will continue to provide important insights into the mechanism of cytokinesis. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

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Giant meiotic spindles in males from Drosophila species with giant sperm tails

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

A Comparative Analysis of Spindle Morphometrics across Metazoans

A Comparative Analysis of Spindle Morphometrics across Metazoans

The relative roles of centrosomal and kinetochore-driven microtubules in Drosophila spindle formation

Cytokinesis inDrosophila melanogaster

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