1
|
Fujii K, Kondo T, Kimura A. Enucleation of the C. elegans embryo revealed dynein-dependent spacing between microtubule asters. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202302427. [PMID: 37931957 PMCID: PMC10627822 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular positioning of the centrosome, a major microtubule-organizing center, is important for cellular functions. One of the features of centrosome positioning is the spacing between centrosomes; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. To characterize the spacing activity in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos, a genetic setup was developed to produce enucleated embryos. The centrosome was duplicated multiple times in the enucleated embryo, which enabled us to characterize the chromosome-independent spacing activity between sister and non-sister centrosome pairs. We found that the timely spacing depended on cytoplasmic dynein, and we propose a stoichiometric model of cortical and cytoplasmic pulling forces for the spacing between centrosomes. We also observed dynein-independent but non-muscle myosin II-dependent movement of centrosomes in the later cell cycle phase. The spacing mechanisms revealed in this study are expected to function between centrosomes in general, regardless of the presence of a chromosome/nucleus between them, including centrosome separation and spindle elongation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ken Fujii
- https://ror.org/0516ah480 Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Sokendai (Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Mishima, Japan
- https://ror.org/02xg1m795 Cell Architecture Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Tomo Kondo
- https://ror.org/02xg1m795 Cell Architecture Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Akatsuki Kimura
- https://ror.org/0516ah480 Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Sokendai (Graduate University for Advanced Studies) Mishima, Japan
- https://ror.org/02xg1m795 Cell Architecture Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mei X, Maniates KA, Looper A, Krauchunas AR, Druzhinina M, Dharia S, Ni J, Singaravelu G, Gu SG, Shakes DC, Grant BD, Singson AW. SPE-51, a sperm-secreted protein with an immunoglobulin-like domain, is required for fertilization in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3048-3055.e6. [PMID: 37453427 PMCID: PMC10528068 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Fertilization is a fundamental process in sexual reproduction during which gametes fuse to combine their genetic material and start the next generation in their life cycle. Fertilization involves species-specific recognition, adhesion, and fusion between the gametes.1,2 In mammals and other model species, some proteins are known to be required for gamete interactions and have been validated with loss-of-function fertility phenotypes.3,4 Yet, the molecular basis of sperm-egg interaction is not well understood. In a forward genetic screen for fertility mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified spe-51. Mutant worms make sperm that are unable to fertilize the oocyte but otherwise normal by all available measurements. The spe-51 gene encodes a secreted protein that includes an immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain and a hydrophobic sequence of amino acids. The SPE-51 protein acts cell autonomously and localizes to the surface of the spermatozoa. We further show that the gene product of the mammalian sperm function gene Sof1 is likewise secreted. This is the first example of a secreted protein required for the interactions between the sperm and egg with genetic validation for a specific function in fertilization in C. elegans (also see spe-365). This is also the first experimental evidence that mammalian SOF1 is secreted. Our analyses of these genes begin to build a paradigm for sperm-secreted or reproductive-tract-secreted proteins that coat the sperm surface and influence their survival, motility, and/or the ability to fertilize the egg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Mei
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Katherine A Maniates
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - A'maya Looper
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Amber R Krauchunas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Marina Druzhinina
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sunny Dharia
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Julie Ni
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | | | - Sam Guoping Gu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Diane C Shakes
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA
| | - Barth D Grant
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Andrew W Singson
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Murph M, Singh S, Schvarzstein M. A combined in silico and in vivo approach to the structure-function annotation of SPD-2 provides mechanistic insight into its functional diversity. Cell Cycle 2022; 21:1958-1979. [PMID: 35678569 PMCID: PMC9415446 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2078458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Centrosomes are organelles that function as hubs of microtubule nucleation and organization, with key roles in organelle positioning, asymmetric cell division, ciliogenesis, and signaling. Aberrant centrosome number, structure or function is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, developmental abnormalities, ciliopathies, and tumor development. A major regulator of centrosome biogenesis and function in C. elegans is the conserved Spindle-defective protein 2 (SPD-2), a homolog of the human CEP-192 protein. CeSPD-2 is required for centrosome maturation, centriole duplication, spindle assembly and possibly cell polarity establishment. Despite its importance, the specific molecular mechanism of CeSPD-2 regulation and function is poorly understood. Here, we combined computational analysis with cell biology approaches to uncover possible structure-function relationships of CeSPD-2 that may shed mechanistic light on its function. Domain prediction analysis corroborated and refined previously identified coiled-coils and ASH (Aspm-SPD-2 Hydin) domains and identified new domains: a GEF domain, an Ig-like domain, and a PDZ-like domain. In addition to these predicted structural features, CeSPD-2 is also predicted to be intrinsically disordered. Surface electrostatic maps identified a large basic region unique to the ASH domain of CeSPD-2. This basic region overlaps with most of the residues predicted to be involved in protein-protein interactions. In vivo, ASH::GFP localized to centrosomes and centrosome-associated microtubules. Our analysis groups ASH domains, PapD, Usher chaperone domains, and Major Sperm Protein (MSP) domains into a single superfold within the larger Immunoglobulin superfamily. This study lays the groundwork for designing rational hypothesis-based experiments to uncover the mechanisms of CeSPD-2 function in vivo.Abbreviations: AIR, Aurora kinase; ASH, Aspm-SPD-2 Hydin; ASP, Abnormal Spindle Protein; ASPM, Abnormal Spindle-like Microcephaly-associated Protein; CC, coiled-coil; CDK, Cyclin-dependent Kinase; Ce, Caenorhabditis elegans; CEP, Centrosomal Protein; CPAP, centrosomal P4.1-associated protein; D, Drosophila; GAP, GTPase activating protein; GEF, GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factor; Hs, Homo sapiens/Human; Ig, Immunoglobulin; MAP, Microtubule associated Protein; MSP, Major Sperm Protein; MDP, Major Sperm Domain-Containing Protein; OCRL-1, Golgi endocytic trafficking protein Inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase; PAR, abnormal embryonic PARtitioning of the cytosol; PCM, Pericentriolar material; PCMD, pericentriolar matrix deficient; PDZ, PSD95/Dlg-1/zo-1; PLK, Polo like kinase; RMSD, Root Mean Square Deviation; SAS, Spindle assembly abnormal proteins; SPD, Spindle-defective protein; TRAPP, TRAnsport Protein Particle; Xe, Xenopus; ZYG, zygote defective protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Murph
- Department of Biology, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shaneen Singh
- Department of Biology, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, The Graduate Center at City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department Biochemistry, The Graduate Center at City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mara Schvarzstein
- Department of Biology, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, The Graduate Center at City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department Biochemistry, The Graduate Center at City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Langlois-Lemay L, D’Amours D. Moonlighting at the Poles: Non-Canonical Functions of Centrosomes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:930355. [PMID: 35912107 PMCID: PMC9329689 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.930355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Centrosomes are best known as the microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) of eukaryotic cells. In addition to their classic role in chromosome segregation, centrosomes play diverse roles unrelated to their MTOC activity during cell proliferation and quiescence. Metazoan centrosomes and their functional doppelgängers from lower eukaryotes, the spindle pole bodies (SPBs), act as important structural platforms that orchestrate signaling events essential for cell cycle progression, cellular responses to DNA damage, sensory reception and cell homeostasis. Here, we provide a critical overview of the unconventional and often overlooked roles of centrosomes/SPBs in the life cycle of eukaryotic cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Langlois-Lemay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Penfield L, Wysolmerski B, Mauro M, Farhadifar R, Martinez MA, Biggs R, Wu HY, Broberg C, Needleman D, Bahmanyar S. Dynein pulling forces counteract lamin-mediated nuclear stability during nuclear envelope repair. Mol Biol Cell 2018; 29:852-868. [PMID: 29386297 PMCID: PMC5905298 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-06-0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient nuclear envelope (NE) ruptures in the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote are caused by a weakened nuclear lamina during nuclear positioning. Dynein-pulling forces enhance the severity of ruptures, while lamin restricts nucleocytoplasmic mixing and allows stable NE repair. This work is the first mechanistic analysis of NE rupture and repair in an organism. Recent work done exclusively in tissue culture cells revealed that the nuclear envelope (NE) ruptures and repairs in interphase. The duration of NE ruptures depends on lamins; however, the underlying mechanisms and relevance to in vivo events are not known. Here, we use the Caenorhabditis elegans zygote to analyze lamin’s role in NE rupture and repair in vivo. Transient NE ruptures and subsequent NE collapse are induced by weaknesses in the nuclear lamina caused by expression of an engineered hypomorphic C. elegans lamin allele. Dynein-generated forces that position nuclei enhance the severity of transient NE ruptures and cause NE collapse. Reduction of dynein forces allows the weakened lamin network to restrict nucleo–cytoplasmic mixing and support stable NE recovery. Surprisingly, the high incidence of transient NE ruptures does not contribute to embryonic lethality, which is instead correlated with stochastic chromosome scattering resulting from premature NE collapse, suggesting that C. elegans tolerates transient losses of NE compartmentalization during early embryogenesis. In sum, we demonstrate that lamin counteracts dynein forces to promote stable NE repair and prevent catastrophic NE collapse, and thus provide the first mechanistic analysis of NE rupture and repair in an organismal context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Penfield
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Brian Wysolmerski
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Michael Mauro
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Reza Farhadifar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Michael A Martinez
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Ronald Biggs
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Hai-Yin Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Curtis Broberg
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Daniel Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Shirin Bahmanyar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kemp CA, Song MH, Addepalli MK, Hunter G, O'Connell K. Suppressors of zyg-1 define regulators of centrosome duplication and nuclear association in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2007; 176:95-113. [PMID: 17446307 PMCID: PMC1893046 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.107.071803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, the kinase ZYG-1 is required for centrosome duplication. To identify factors that interact with ZYG-1, we used a classical genetic approach and identified 21 szy (suppressor of zyg-1) genes that when mutated restore partial viability to a zyg-1 mutant. None of the suppressors render animals completely independent of zyg-1 activity and analysis of a subset of the suppressors indicates that all restore the normal process of centrosome duplication to zyg-1 mutants. Thirteen of these suppressor mutations confer phenotypes of their own and cytological examination reveals that these genes function in a variety of cellular processes including cell cycle timing, microtubule organization, cytokinesis, chromosome segregation, and centrosome morphology. Interestingly, several of the szy genes play a role in attaching the centrosome to the nuclear envelope. We have found that one such szy gene is sun-1, a gene encoding a nuclear envelope component. We further show that the role of SUN-1 in centrosome duplication is distinct from its role in attachment. Our approach has thus identified numerous candidate regulators of centrosome duplication and uncovered an unanticipated regulatory mechanism involving factors that tether the centrosome to the nucleus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Kemp
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kemp CA, Kopish KR, Zipperlen P, Ahringer J, O'Connell KF. Centrosome Maturation and Duplication in C. elegans Require the Coiled-Coil Protein SPD-2. Dev Cell 2004; 6:511-23. [PMID: 15068791 DOI: 10.1016/s1534-5807(04)00066-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2003] [Revised: 02/06/2004] [Accepted: 02/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Centrosomes are major determinants of mitotic spindle structure, but the mechanisms regulating their behavior remain poorly understood. The spd-2 gene of C. elegans is required for centrosome assembly or "maturation." Here we show that spd-2 encodes a coiled-coil protein that localizes within pericentriolar material (PCM) and in the immediate vicinity of centrioles. During maturation, SPD-2 gradually accumulates at the centrosome in a manner that is partially dependent on Aurora-A kinase and cytoplasmic dynein. Interestingly, SPD-2 interacts genetically with dynein heavy chain and SPD-5, another coiled-coil protein required for centrosome maturation. SPD-2 and SPD-5 are codependent for localization to the PCM, but SPD-2 localizes to centrioles independently of SPD-5. Surprisingly, we also find that SPD-2 is required for centrosome duplication and genetically interacts with ZYG-1, a kinase required for duplication. Thus, we have identified SPD-2 as a factor critical for the two basic functions of the centrosome-microtubule organization and duplication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Kemp
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
O'Toole ET, McDonald KL, Mäntler J, McIntosh JR, Hyman AA, Müller-Reichert T. Morphologically distinct microtubule ends in the mitotic centrosome of Caenorhabditis elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 163:451-6. [PMID: 14610052 PMCID: PMC2173630 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200304035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
During mitosis, the connections of microtubules (MTs) to centrosomes and kinetochores are dynamic. From in vitro studies, it is known that the dynamic behavior of MTs is related to the structure of their ends, but we know little about the structure of MT ends in spindles. Here, we use high-voltage electron tomography to study the centrosome- and kinetochore-associated ends of spindle MTs in embryonic cells of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Centrosome-associated MT ends are either closed or open. Closed MT ends are more numerous and are uniformly distributed around the centrosome, but open ends are found preferentially on kinetochore-attached MTs. These results have structural implications for models of MT interactions with centrosomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eileen T O'Toole
- Boulder Laboratory for 3-D Electron Microscopy of Cells, University of Colorado, 80309, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The centrosome consists of a pair of centrioles and a surrounding matrix of pericentriolar material that anchors microtubule nucleation sites and consequently determines the number and organization of microtubules in interphase and mitotic cells. Recent studies utilizing a functional genomics approach in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans and sophisticated light and electron microscopy techniques provide new insight into how centrioles act as centrosomal organizers and use a centriolar structural element to dictate centrosome size by defining their capacity to recruit pericentriolar material.
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
The long-standing interest in centrioles and basal bodies stems from the evolutionary conservation of their structural design and from their dual mode of assembly (templated versus de novo), revealed by electron microscopic studies nearly four decades ago and unique for a subcellular organelle. Molecular dissection of the assembly pathway during the past few years has recently progressed, essentially through direct and reverse genetic approaches. These studies revealed essential roles for centrins and the gamma-, delta-, epsilon - and eta-tubulins in assembly or as specific signals for centriole duplication. Identification of further components of basal bodies and centrioles might help to unravel the two assembly pathways and their regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Beisson
- Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hamill DR, Severson AF, Carter JC, Bowerman B. Centrosome maturation and mitotic spindle assembly in C. elegans require SPD-5, a protein with multiple coiled-coil domains. Dev Cell 2002; 3:673-84. [PMID: 12431374 DOI: 10.1016/s1534-5807(02)00327-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The maternally expressed C. elegans gene spd-5 encodes a centrosomal protein with multiple coiled-coil domains. During mitosis in mutants with reduced levels of SPD-5, microtubules assemble but radiate from condensed chromosomes without forming a spindle, and mitosis fails. SPD-5 is required for the centrosomal localization of gamma-tubulin, XMAP-215, and Aurora A kinase family members, but SPD-5 accumulates at centrosomes in mutants lacking these proteins. Furthermore, SPD-5 interacts genetically with a dynein heavy chain. We propose that SPD-5, along with dynein, is required for centrosome maturation and mitotic spindle assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danielle R Hamill
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|