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Sacristan C, Samejima K, Ruiz LA, Deb M, Lambers MLA, Buckle A, Brackley CA, Robertson D, Hori T, Webb S, Kiewisz R, Bepler T, van Kwawegen E, Risteski P, Vukušić K, Tolić IM, Müller-Reichert T, Fukagawa T, Gilbert N, Marenduzzo D, Earnshaw WC, Kops GJPL. Vertebrate centromeres in mitosis are functionally bipartite structures stabilized by cohesin. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00409-4. [PMID: 38744280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.04.014] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Centromeres are scaffolds for the assembly of kinetochores that ensure chromosome segregation during cell division. How vertebrate centromeres obtain a three-dimensional structure to accomplish their primary function is unclear. Using super-resolution imaging, capture-C, and polymer modeling, we show that vertebrate centromeres are partitioned by condensins into two subdomains during mitosis. The bipartite structure is found in human, mouse, and chicken cells and is therefore a fundamental feature of vertebrate centromeres. Super-resolution imaging and electron tomography reveal that bipartite centromeres assemble bipartite kinetochores, with each subdomain binding a distinct microtubule bundle. Cohesin links the centromere subdomains, limiting their separation in response to spindle forces and avoiding merotelic kinetochore-spindle attachments. Lagging chromosomes during cancer cell divisions frequently have merotelic attachments in which the centromere subdomains are separated and bioriented. Our work reveals a fundamental aspect of vertebrate centromere biology with implications for understanding the mechanisms that guarantee faithful chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Sacristan
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Kumiko Samejima
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Lorena Andrade Ruiz
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Moonmoon Deb
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maaike L A Lambers
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Adam Buckle
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Chris A Brackley
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel Robertson
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tetsuya Hori
- Laboratory of Chromosome Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shaun Webb
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027, USA; Biocomputing Unit, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia (CNB-CSIC), Darwin, 3, Campus Universidad Autonoma, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Tristan Bepler
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Eloïse van Kwawegen
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tatsuo Fukagawa
- Laboratory of Chromosome Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nick Gilbert
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics & Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Davide Marenduzzo
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - William C Earnshaw
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Geert J P L Kops
- Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Kiewisz R, Baum D, Müller-Reichert T, Fabig G. Serial-section Electron Tomography and Quantitative Analysis of Microtubule Organization in 3D-reconstructed Mitotic Spindles. Bio Protoc 2023; 13:e4849. [PMID: 37900106 PMCID: PMC10603263 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4849] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
For the analysis of cellular architecture during mitosis, nanometer resolution is needed to visualize the organization of microtubules in spindles. Here, we present a detailed protocol that can be used to produce 3D reconstructions of whole mitotic spindles in cells grown in culture. For this, we attach mammalian cells enriched in mitotic stages to sapphire discs. Our protocol further involves cryo-immobilization by high-pressure freezing, freeze-substitution, and resin embedding. We then use fluorescence light microscopy to stage select mitotic cells in the resin-embedded samples. This is followed by large-scale electron tomography to reconstruct the selected and staged mitotic spindles in 3D. The generated and stitched electron tomograms are then used to semi-automatically segment the microtubules for subsequent quantitative analysis of spindle organization. Thus, by providing a detailed correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) approach, we give cell biologists a toolset to streamline the 3D visualization and analysis of spindle microtubules (http://kiewisz.shinyapps.io/asga). In addition, we refer to a recently launched platform that allows for an interactive display of the 3D-reconstructed mitotic spindles (https://cfci.shinyapps.io/ASGA_3DViewer/). Key features • High-throughput screening of mitotic cells by correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). • Serial-section electron tomography of selected cells. • Visualization of mitotic spindles in 3D and quantitative analysis of microtubule organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kiewisz
- Simons Machine Learning Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- Experimental Center, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biocomputing Unit, Centro Nacional de Biotechnologia (CNB-CSIC), Darwin, 3, Campus Universidad Autonoma, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Baum
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Kiewisz R, Fabig G, Müller-Reichert T, Bepler T. Automated Segmentation of 3D Cytoskeletal Filaments from Electron Micrographs with TARDIS. Microsc Microanal 2023; 29:970-972. [PMID: 37613687 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kiewisz
- Simons Machine Learning Center/New York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York, USA
- Biocomputing Unit/Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, Madrid, Cantoblanco, Spain
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus/Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus/Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Tristan Bepler
- Simons Machine Learning Center/New York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York, USA
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Laguillo-Diego A, Kiewisz R, Martí-Gómez C, Baum D, Müller-Reichert T, Vernos I. MCRS1 modulates the heterogeneity of microtubule minus-end morphologies in mitotic spindles. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 34:ar1. [PMID: 36350698 PMCID: PMC9816640 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-08-0306-t] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation requires the assembly of a bipolar spindle, consisting of two antiparallel microtubule (MT) arrays having most of their minus ends focused at the spindle poles and their plus ends overlapping in the spindle midzone. Spindle assembly, chromosome alignment, and segregation require highly dynamic MTs. The plus ends of MTs have been extensively investigated but their minus-end structure remains poorly characterized. Here, we used large-scale electron tomography to study the morphology of the MT minus ends in three dimensionally reconstructed metaphase spindles in HeLa cells. In contrast to the homogeneous open morphology of the MT plus ends at the kinetochores, we found that MT minus ends are heterogeneous, showing either open or closed morphologies. Silencing the minus end-specific stabilizer, MCRS1 increased the proportion of open MT minus ends. Altogether, these data suggest a correlation between the morphology and the dynamic state of the MT ends. Taking this heterogeneity of the MT minus-end morphologies into account, our work indicates an unsynchronized behavior of MTs at the spindle poles, thus laying the groundwork for further studies on the complexity of MT dynamics regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Laguillo-Diego
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Carlos Martí-Gómez
- Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Daniel Baum
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Isabelle Vernos
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain,ICREA, Barcelona 08010, Spain,*Address correspondence to: Isabelle Vernos ()
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5
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Kiewisz R, Fabig G, Conway W, Baum D, Needleman DJ, Müller-Reichert T. Three-dimensional structure of kinetochore-fibers in human mitotic spindles. eLife 2022; 11:75459. [PMID: 35894209 PMCID: PMC9365394 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During cell division, kinetochore microtubules (KMTs) provide a physical linkage between the chromosomes and the rest of the spindle. KMTs in mammalian cells are organized into bundles, so-called kinetochore-fibers (k-fibers), but the ultrastructure of these fibers is currently not well characterized. Here, we show by large-scale electron tomography that each k-fiber in HeLa cells in metaphase is composed of approximately nine KMTs, only half of which reach the spindle pole. Our comprehensive reconstructions allowed us to analyze the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of k-fibers and their surrounding MTs in detail. We found that k-fibers exhibit remarkable variation in circumference and KMT density along their length, with the pole-proximal side showing a broadening. Extending our structural analysis then to other MTs in the spindle, we further observed that the association of KMTs with non-KMTs predominantly occurs in the spindle pole regions. Our 3D reconstructions have implications for KMT growth and k-fiber self-organization models as covered in a parallel publication applying complementary live-cell imaging in combination with biophysical modeling (Conway et al., 2022). Finally, we also introduce a new visualization tool allowing an interactive display of our 3D spindle data that will serve as a resource for further structural studies on mitosis in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - William Conway
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Daniel Baum
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel J Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Conway W, Kiewisz R, Fabig G, Kelleher CP, Wu HY, Anjur-Dietrich M, Müller-Reichert T, Needleman DJ. Self-organization of kinetochore-fibers in human mitotic spindles. eLife 2022; 11:75458. [PMID: 35876665 PMCID: PMC9398449 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75458] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During eukaryotic cell division, chromosomes are linked to microtubules (MTs) in the spindle by a macromolecular complex called the kinetochore. The bound kinetochore microtubules (KMTs) are crucial to ensuring accurate chromosome segregation. Recent reconstructions by electron tomography (Kiewisz et al., 2022) captured the positions and configurations of every MT in human mitotic spindles, revealing that roughly half the KMTs in these spindles do not reach the pole. Here, we investigate the processes that give rise to this distribution of KMTs using a combination of analysis of large-scale electron tomography, photoconversion experiments, quantitative polarized light microscopy, and biophysical modeling. Our results indicate that in metaphase, KMTs grow away from the kinetochores along well-defined trajectories, with the speed of the KMT minus ends continually decreasing as the minus ends approach the pole, implying that longer KMTs grow more slowly than shorter KMTs. The locations of KMT minus ends, and the turnover and movements of tubulin in KMTs, are consistent with models in which KMTs predominately nucleate de novo at kinetochores in metaphase and are inconsistent with substantial numbers of non-KMTs being recruited to the kinetochore in metaphase. Taken together, this work leads to a mathematical model of the self-organization of kinetochore-fibers in human mitotic spindles.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Conway
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Colm P Kelleher
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Hai-Yin Wu
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Maya Anjur-Dietrich
- John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel J Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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7
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Klewer T, Bakic L, Müller-Reichert T, Kiewisz R, Jessberger G, Kiessling N, Roers A, Jessberger R. E-Cadherin restricts mast cell degranulation in mice. Eur J Immunol 2021; 52:44-53. [PMID: 34606636 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202049087] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Crosslinking of FcεRI-bound IgE triggers the release of a large number of biologically active, potentially anaphylactic compounds by mast cells. FcεRI activation ought to be well-controlled to restrict adverse activation. As mast cells are embedded in tissues, adhesion molecules may contribute to limiting premature activation. Here, we report that E-Cadherin serves that purpose. Having confirmed that cultured mast cells express E-Cadherin, a mast-cell-specific E-Cadherin deficiency, Mcpt5-Cre E-Cdhfl/fl mice, was used to analyze mast cell degranulation in vitro and in vivo. Cultured peritoneal mast cells from Mcpt5-Cre E-Cdhfl/fl mice were normal with respect to many parameters but showed much-enhanced degranulation in three independent assays. Soluble E-Cadherin reduced the degranulation of control cells. The release of some newly synthesized inflammatory cytokines was decreased by E-Cadherin deficiency. Compared to controls, Mcpt5-Cre E-Cdhfl/fl mice reacted much stronger to IgE-dependent stimuli, developing anaphylactic shock. We suggest E-Cadherin-mediated tissue interactions restrict mast cell degranulation to prevent their precocious activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theres Klewer
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ljubica Bakic
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Core Facility Cellular Imaging, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Core Facility Cellular Imaging, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gregor Jessberger
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nadine Kiessling
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Axel Roers
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rolf Jessberger
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Lindow N, Brünig FN, Dercksen VJ, Fabig G, Kiewisz R, Redemann S, Müller-Reichert T, Prohaska S, Baum D. Semi-automatic stitching of filamentous structures in image stacks from serial-section electron tomography. J Microsc 2021; 284:25-44. [PMID: 34110027 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13039] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We present a software-assisted workflow for the alignment and matching of filamentous structures across a three-dimensional (3D) stack of serial images. This is achieved by combining automatic methods, visual validation, and interactive correction. After the computation of an initial automatic matching, the user can continuously improve the result by interactively correcting landmarks or matches of filaments. Supported by a visual quality assessment of regions that have been already inspected, this allows a trade-off between quality and manual labour. The software tool was developed in an interdisciplinary collaboration between computer scientists and cell biologists to investigate cell division by quantitative 3D analysis of microtubules (MTs) in both mitotic and meiotic spindles. For this, each spindle is cut into a series of semi-thick physical sections, of which electron tomograms are acquired. The serial tomograms are then stitched and non-rigidly aligned to allow tracing and connecting of MTs across tomogram boundaries. In practice, automatic stitching alone provides only an incomplete solution, because large physical distortions and a low signal-to-noise ratio often cause experimental difficulties. To derive 3D models of spindles despite dealing with imperfect data related to sample preparation and subsequent data collection, semi-automatic validation and correction is required to remove stitching mistakes. However, due to the large number of MTs in spindles (up to 30k) and their resulting dense spatial arrangement, a naive inspection of each MT is too time-consuming. Furthermore, an interactive visualisation of the full image stack is hampered by the size of the data (up to 100 GB). Here, we present a specialised, interactive, semi-automatic solution that considers all requirements for large-scale stitching of filamentous structures in serial-section image stacks. To the best of our knowledge, it is the only currently available tool which is able to process data of the type and size presented here. The key to our solution is a careful design of the visualisation and interaction tools for each processing step to guarantee real-time response, and an optimised workflow that efficiently guides the user through datasets. The final solution presented here is the result of an iterative process with tight feedback loops between the involved computer scientists and cell biologists. LAY DESCRIPTION: Electron tomography of biological samples is used for a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of filamentous structures, such as microtubules (MTs) in mitotic and meiotic spindles. Large-scale electron tomography can be applied to increase the reconstructed volume for the visualisation of full spindles. For this, each spindle is cut into a series of semi-thick physical sections, from which electron tomograms are acquired. The serial tomograms are then stitched and non-rigidly aligned to allow tracing and connecting of MTs across tomogram boundaries. Previously, we presented fully automatic approaches for this 3D reconstruction pipeline. However, large volumes often suffer from imperfections (ie physical distortions) caused by the image acquisition process, making it difficult to apply fully automatic approaches for matching and stitching of numerous tomograms. Therefore, we developed an interactive, semi-automatic solution that considers all requirements for large-scale stitching of microtubules in image stacks of consecutive sections. We achieved this by combining automatic methods, visual validation and interactive error correction, thus allowing the user to continuously improve the result by interactively correcting landmarks or matches of filaments. We present large-scale reconstructions of spindles in which the automatic workflow failed and where different steps of manual corrections were needed. Our approach is also applicable to other biological samples showing 3D distributions of MTs in a number of different cellular contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Lindow
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian N Brünig
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vincent J Dercksen
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefanie Redemann
- School of Medicine, Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.,School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.,School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Steffen Prohaska
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Baum
- Department of Visual and Data-Centric Computing, Zuse Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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9
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Kiewisz R, Müller-Reichert T, Fabig G. High-throughput screening of mitotic mammalian cells for electron microscopy using classic histological dyes. Methods Cell Biol 2020; 162:151-170. [PMID: 33707011 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We introduce a new workflow that allows screening and selection of staged mammalian cells in mitosis prior to subsequent electron microscopy. We mainly describe four improved steps of specimen preparation. Firstly, we describe a method to efficiently enrich mammalian cells and attach them to sapphire discs; secondly, we report on the use of 3D-printed containers to seed cells on coated sapphire discs for high-pressure freezing; thirdly, we take advantage of a specimen carrier that allows for an upside-down placing of sapphire discs without a second carrier or spacer ring to close the "sandwich"; and fourthly, we use histological dyes to stain DNA/chromatin during freeze-substitution. Out of 14 tested histological dyes, we routinely use four of them for visual inspection of mitotic cells by light microscopy. Applying this streamlined workflow, HeLa cells at different stages of mitosis can be selected for further ultrastructural analysis. The practical aspects of this approach will be discussed herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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10
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Fabig G, Kiewisz R, Lindow N, Powers JA, Cota V, Quintanilla LJ, Brugués J, Prohaska S, Chu DS, Müller-Reichert T. Male meiotic spindle features that efficiently segregate paired and lagging chromosomes. eLife 2020; 9:50988. [PMID: 32149606 PMCID: PMC7101234 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation during male meiosis is tailored to rapidly generate multitudes of sperm. Little is known about mechanisms that efficiently partition chromosomes to produce sperm. Using live imaging and tomographic reconstructions of spermatocyte meiotic spindles in Caenorhabditis elegans, we find the lagging X chromosome, a distinctive feature of anaphase I in C. elegans males, is due to lack of chromosome pairing. The unpaired chromosome remains tethered to centrosomes by lengthening kinetochore microtubules, which are under tension, suggesting that a ‘tug of war’ reliably resolves lagging. We find spermatocytes exhibit simultaneous pole-to-chromosome shortening (anaphase A) and pole-to-pole elongation (anaphase B). Electron tomography unexpectedly revealed spermatocyte anaphase A does not stem solely from kinetochore microtubule shortening. Instead, movement of autosomes is largely driven by distance change between chromosomes, microtubules, and centrosomes upon tension release during anaphase. Overall, we define novel features that segregate both lagging and paired chromosomes for optimal sperm production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunar Fabig
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - James A Powers
- Light Microscopy Imaging Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States
| | - Vanessa Cota
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, United States
| | - Luis J Quintanilla
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, United States
| | - Jan Brugués
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.,Centre for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Diana S Chu
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, United States
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Yu CH, Redemann S, Wu HY, Kiewisz R, Yoo TY, Conway W, Farhadifar R, Müller-Reichert T, Needleman D. Central-spindle microtubules are strongly coupled to chromosomes during both anaphase A and anaphase B. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:2503-2514. [PMID: 31339442 PMCID: PMC6743361 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-01-0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spindle microtubules, whose dynamics vary over time and at different locations, cooperatively drive chromosome segregation. Measurements of microtubule dynamics and spindle ultrastructure can provide insight into the behaviors of microtubules, helping elucidate the mechanism of chromosome segregation. Much work has focused on the dynamics and organization of kinetochore microtubules, that is, on the region between chromosomes and poles. In comparison, microtubules in the central-spindle region, between segregating chromosomes, have been less thoroughly characterized. Here, we report measurements of the movement of central-spindle microtubules during chromosome segregation in human mitotic spindles and Caenorhabditis elegans mitotic and female meiotic spindles. We found that these central-spindle microtubules slide apart at the same speed as chromosomes, even as chromosomes move toward spindle poles. In these systems, damaging central-spindle microtubules by laser ablation caused an immediate and complete cessation of chromosome motion, suggesting a strong coupling between central-spindle microtubules and chromosomes. Electron tomographic reconstruction revealed that the analyzed anaphase spindles all contain microtubules with both ends between segregating chromosomes. Our results provide new dynamical, functional, and ultrastructural characterizations of central-spindle microtubules during chromosome segregation in diverse spindles and suggest that central-spindle microtubules and chromosomes are strongly coupled in anaphase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che-Hang Yu
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Stefanie Redemann
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology & Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903
| | - Hai-Yin Wu
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tae Yeon Yoo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - William Conway
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Reza Farhadifar
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010
| | - Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Experimental Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Needleman
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
The mitotic spindle is a complex three-dimensional (3D) apparatus that functions to ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Our current understanding of spindle architecture is mainly based on a plethora of information derived from light microscopy with rather few insights about spindle ultrastructure obtained from electron microscopy. In this Review, we will provide insights into the history of imaging of mitotic spindles and highlight recent technological advances in electron tomography and data processing, which have delivered detailed 3D reconstructions of mitotic spindles in the early embryo of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Tomographic reconstructions provide novel views on spindles and will enable us to revisit and address long-standing questions in the field of mitosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Müller-Reichert
- Technische Universität Dresden, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Fiedlerstraße 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Kiewisz
- Technische Universität Dresden, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Fiedlerstraße 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefanie Redemann
- Technische Universität Dresden, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Fiedlerstraße 42, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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