C. elegans chromosomes connect to centrosomes by anchoring into the spindle network

Stefanie Redemann, Johannes Baumgart, Norbert Lindow, Michael Shelley (), Ehssan Nazockdast, Andrea Kratz, Steffen Prohaska, Jan Brugués, Sebastian Fürthauer and Thomas Müller-Reichert ()
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Stefanie Redemann: Technische Universität Dresden, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus
Johannes Baumgart: Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems
Norbert Lindow: Zuse Institute Berlin
Michael Shelley: The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
Ehssan Nazockdast: The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
Andrea Kratz: Zuse Institute Berlin
Steffen Prohaska: Zuse Institute Berlin
Jan Brugués: Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems
Sebastian Fürthauer: The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University
Thomas Müller-Reichert: Technische Universität Dresden, Experimental Center, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract The mitotic spindle ensures the faithful segregation of chromosomes. Here we combine the first large-scale serial electron tomography of whole mitotic spindles in early C. elegans embryos with live-cell imaging to reconstruct all microtubules in 3D and identify their plus- and minus-ends. We classify them as kinetochore (KMTs), spindle (SMTs) or astral microtubules (AMTs) according to their positions, and quantify distinct properties of each class. While our light microscopy and mutant studies show that microtubules are nucleated from the centrosomes, we find only a few KMTs directly connected to the centrosomes. Indeed, by quantitatively analysing several models of microtubule growth, we conclude that minus-ends of KMTs have selectively detached and depolymerized from the centrosome. In toto, our results show that the connection between centrosomes and chromosomes is mediated by an anchoring into the entire spindle network and that any direct connections through KMTs are few and likely very transient.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15288

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