scholarly journals The chromokinesin Klp3a and microtubules facilitate acentric chromosome segregation

2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (6) ◽  
pp. 1597-1608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis Karg ◽  
Mary Williard Elting ◽  
Hannah Vicars ◽  
Sophie Dumont ◽  
William Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Laser Ablation ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Equal Frequency ◽  
Chromosome Fragments ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Although poleward segregation of acentric chromosomes is well documented, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that microtubules play a key role in poleward movement of acentric chromosome fragments generated in Drosophila melanogaster neuroblasts. Acentrics segregate with either telomeres leading or lagging in equal frequency and are preferentially associated with peripheral bundled microtubules. In addition, laser ablation studies demonstrate that segregating acentrics are mechanically associated with microtubules. Finally, we show that successful acentric segregation requires the chromokinesin Klp3a. Reduced Klp3a function results in disorganized interpolar microtubules and shortened spindles. Normally, acentric poleward segregation occurs at the periphery of the spindle in association with interpolar microtubules. In klp3a mutants, acentrics fail to localize and segregate along the peripheral interpolar microtubules and are abnormally positioned in the spindle interior. These studies demonstrate an unsuspected role for interpolar microtubules in driving acentric segregation.

scholarly journals Social modulation of oogenesis and egg-laying in Drosophila melanogaster

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bailly Tiphaine ◽  
Philip Kohlmeier ◽  
Rampal Etienne ◽  
Bregje Wertheim ◽  
Jean-Christophe Billeter
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Gravid Females

Being part of a group facilitates cooperation between group members, but also creates competition for limited resources. This conundrum is problematic for gravid females who benefit from being in a group, but whose future offspring may struggle for access to nutrition in larger groups. Females should thus modulate their reproductive output depending on their social context. Although social-context dependent modulation of reproduction is documented in a broad range of species, its underlying mechanisms and functions are poorly understood. In the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, females actively attract conspecifics to lay eggs on the same resources, generating groups in which individuals may cooperate or compete. The tractability of the genetics of this species allows dissecting the mechanisms underlying physiological adaptation to their social context. Here, we show that females produce eggs increasingly faster as group size increases. By laying eggs faster in group than alone, females appear to reduce competition between offspring and increase their likelihood of survival. In addition, females in a group lay their eggs during the light phase of the day, while isolated females lay them during the night. We show that responses to the presence of others are determined by vision through the motion detection pathway and that flies from any sex, mating status or species can trigger these responses. The mechanisms of this modulation of egg-laying by group is connected to a lifting of the inhibition of light on oogenesis and egg-laying by stimulating hormonal pathways involving juvenile hormone. Because modulation of reproduction by social context is a hallmark of animals with higher levels of sociality, our findings represent a protosocial mechanism in a species considered solitary that may have been the target of selection for the evolution of more complex social systems.

scholarly journals Insights from the reconstitution of the divergent outer kinetochore of Drosophila melanogaster

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 150236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahui Liu ◽  
Arsen Petrovic ◽  
Pascaline Rombaut ◽  
Shyamal Mosalaganti ◽  
Jenny Keller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Histone H3 Variant ◽  
Centromeric Protein ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
Specialized Region ◽  
Structural Methods ◽  
Mitosis And Meiosis ◽  
Shed Light

Accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis is crucial for cellular and organismal viability. Kinetochores connect chromosomes with spindle microtubules and are essential for chromosome segregation. These large protein scaffolds emerge from the centromere, a specialized region of the chromosome enriched with the histone H3 variant CENP-A. In most eukaryotes, the kinetochore core consists of the centromere-proximal constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN), which binds CENP-A and contains 16 subunits, and of the centromere-distal Knl1 complex, Mis12 complex, Ndc80 complex (KMN) network, which binds microtubules and contains 10 subunits. In the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, the kinetochore underwent remarkable simplifications. All CCAN subunits, with the exception of centromeric protein C (CENP-C), and two KMN subunits, Dsn1 and Zwint, cannot be identified in this organism. In addition, two paralogues of the KMN subunit Nnf1 (Nnf1a and Nnf1b) are present. Finally, the Spc105R subunit, homologous to human Knl1/CASC5, underwent considerable sequence changes in comparison with other organisms. We combined biochemical reconstitution with biophysical and structural methods to investigate how these changes reflect on the organization of the Drosophila KMN network. We demonstrate that the Nnf1a and Nnf1b paralogues are subunits of distinct complexes, both of which interact directly with Spc105R and with CENP-C, for the latter of which we identify a binding site on the Mis12 subunit. Our studies shed light on the structural and functional organization of a highly divergent kinetochore particle.

CYTOGENETICS OF A UNIVALENT CHROMOSOME IN BS DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER MALES

1971 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Light Microscope ◽  
Meiotic Behavior ◽  
Equal Frequency ◽  
Univalent Chromosome ◽  
Genetic Results

Bs males bearing a modified X:4 translocation in which one of the members, XPYL∙YS, is an invariable univalent show that the univalent-bearing gametes from males raised at 26.0 °C are recovered only half as frequently as from those raised at 18.0 °C (Zimmering, 1963).Such males were raised at 26.0 °C (Experiments I and II) and at 18.0 °C (Experiment III) and upon eclosion were mated to three yellow free-X females for 3 days at 26.0 °C. Testes of sib males were squashed and examined with phase optics to follow the meiotic behavior of the univalent. All tests were carried out over a 3-year period.The genetic results confirm those of Zimmering (1963) and show that the univalent is recovered with a frequency of 22.5 ± 0.9% and 18.5 ± 0.9% in Experiments I and II, whereas it is recovered with a frequency of 36.7 ± 1.6% in Experiment III. However, the cytological results show that while the univalent lags at A I with a frequency of 9.4, 28.7, and 32.2%, respectively, cells with and without XPYL∙YS are observed with equal frequency at M II and A II in all experiments. The post meiotic stages also appear to be normal at the level of the light microscope. Although negligible loss of the univalent is not excluded, it is clear that the frequency of XPYL∙YS lag is unrelated to temperature or to the distorted genetic ratios from males raised at 26.0 °C. Degeneration of XPYL∙YS-bearing sperm beyond the level of the light microscope remains as a possible explanation for the observed genetic distortion.

scholarly journals Novel chromosome organization pattern in actinomycetales–overlapping replication cycles combined with diploidy

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kati Böhm ◽  
Fabian Meyer ◽  
Agata Rhomberg ◽  
Jörn Kalinowski ◽  
Catriona Donovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Chromosome Organization ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Chromosomal Organization ◽  
Dna Segregation ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
Dependent Cell ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Cycle Models

AbstractBacteria regulate chromosome replication and segregation tightly with cell division to ensure faithful segregation of DNA to daughter generations. The underlying mechanisms have been addressed in several model species. It became apparent that bacteria have evolved quite different strategies to regulate DNA segregation and chromosomal organization. We have investigated here how the actinobacteriumCorynebacterium glutamicumorganizes chromosome segregation and DNA replication. Unexpectedly, we find thatC. glutamicumcells are at least diploid under all conditions tested and that these organisms have overlapping C-periods during replication with both origins initiating replication simultaneously. Based on experimentally obtained data we propose growth rate dependent cell cycle models forC. glutamicum.

scholarly journals Variation in Y Chromosome Segregation in Natural Populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-151
Author(s):  
Andrew G Clark
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Adult Offspring ◽  
Functional Variation ◽  
Y Chromosomes ◽  
Geographic Origins

ABSTRACT Functional variation among Y chromosomes in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster was assayed by a segregation study. A total of 36 Y chromosomes was extracted and ten generations of replacement backcrossing yielded stocks with Y chromosomes in two different genetic backgrounds. Eleven of the Y chromosomes were from diverse geographic origins, and the remaining 25 were from locally captured flies. Segregation of sexes in adult offspring was scored for the four possible crosses among the two backgrounds with each Y chromosome. Although the design confounds meiotic drive and effects on viability, statistical partitioning of these effects reveals significant variation among lines in Y chromosome segregation. Results are discussed in regards to models of Y-linked segregation and viability effects, which suggest that Y-linked adaptive polymorphism is unlikely.

scholarly journals Flavors of Non-Random Meiotic Segregation of Autosomes and Sex Chromosomes

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1338
Author(s):  
Filip Pajpach ◽  
Tianyu Wu ◽  
Linda Shearwin-Whyatt ◽  
Keith Jones ◽  
Frank Grützner
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Sex Chromosomes ◽  
Sex Chromosome ◽  
Extreme Case ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Continuous Transition ◽  
Equal Chance ◽  
Random Segregation ◽  
Chromosomal Changes ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Segregation of chromosomes is a multistep process occurring both at mitosis and meiosis to ensure that daughter cells receive a complete set of genetic information. Critical components in the chromosome segregation include centromeres, kinetochores, components of sister chromatid and homologous chromosomes cohesion, microtubule organizing centres, and spindles. Based on the cytological work in the grasshopper Brachystola, it has been accepted for decades that segregation of homologs at meiosis is fundamentally random. This ensures that alleles on chromosomes have equal chance to be transmitted to progeny. At the same time mechanisms of meiotic drive and an increasing number of other examples of non-random segregation of autosomes and sex chromosomes provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of chromosome segregation but also question the textbook dogma of random chromosome segregation. Recent advances provide a better understanding of meiotic drive as a prominent force where cellular and chromosomal changes allow autosomes to bias their segregation. Less understood are mechanisms explaining observations that autosomal heteromorphism may cause biased segregation and regulate alternating segregation of multiple sex chromosome systems or translocation heterozygotes as an extreme case of non-random segregation. We speculate that molecular and cytological mechanisms of non-random segregation might be common in these cases and that there might be a continuous transition between random and non-random segregation which may play a role in the evolution of sexually antagonistic genes and sex chromosome evolution.

scholarly journals The First Mitotic Division of the Human Embryo is Highly Error-prone

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Ford ◽  
Cerys E. Currie ◽  
Deborah M. Taylor ◽  
Muriel Erent ◽  
Adele L. Marston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Mitotic Division ◽  
Human Embryos ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Fetal Aneuploidies ◽  
Dna Dyes ◽  
Age Independent

Aneuploidy in human embryos is surprisingly prevalent and increases drastically with maternal age, resulting in miscarriages, infertility and birth defects. Frequent errors during the meiotic divisions cause this aneuploidy, while age-independent errors during the first cleavage divisions of the embryo also contribute. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, largely because these events have never been visualised in living human embryos. Here, using cell-permeable DNA dyes, we film chromosome segregation during the first and second mitotic cleavage divisions in human embryos from women undergoing assisted reproduction following ovarian stimulation. We show that the first mitotic division takes several hours to complete and is highly variable. Timings of key mitotic events were, however, largely consistent with clinical videos of embryos that gave rise to live births. Multipolar divisions and lagging chromosomes during anaphase were frequent with no maternal age association. In contrast, the second mitosis was shorter and underwent mostly bipolar divisions with no detectable lagging chromosomes. We propose that the first mitotic division in humans is a unique and highly error-prone event, which contributes to fetal aneuploidies.

scholarly journals Intrakinetochore stretch is associated with changes in kinetochore phosphorylation and spindle assembly checkpoint activity

2009 ◽  
Vol 184 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Maresca ◽  
Edward D. Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Spindle Assembly Checkpoint ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Spindle Assembly ◽  
Centromeric Chromatin ◽  
Cell Assays ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Cells have evolved a signaling pathway called the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) to increase the fidelity of chromosome segregation by generating a “wait anaphase” signal until all chromosomes are properly aligned within the mitotic spindle. It has been proposed that tension generated by the stretch of the centromeric chromatin of bioriented chromosomes stabilizes kinetochore microtubule attachments and turns off SAC activity. Although biorientation clearly causes stretching of the centromeric chromatin, it is unclear whether the kinetochore is also stretched. To test whether intrakinetochore stretch occurs and is involved in SAC regulation, we developed a Drosophila melanogaster S2 cell line expressing centromere identifier–mCherry and Ndc80–green fluorescent protein to mark the inner and outer kinetochore domains, respectively. We observed stretching within kinetochores of bioriented chromosomes by monitoring both inter- and intrakinetochore distances in live cell assays. This intrakinetochore stretch is largely independent of a 30-fold variation in centromere stretch. Furthermore, loss of intrakinetochore stretch is associated with enhancement of 3F3/2 phosphorylation and SAC activation.

A pair of dopamine neurons mediate chronic stress signals to induce learning deficit in Drosophila melanogaster

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (42) ◽  
pp. e2023674118
Author(s):  
Jia Jia ◽  
Lei He ◽  
Junfei Yang ◽  
Yichun Shuai ◽  
Jingjing Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Learning Deficit ◽  
Dopaminergic Activity ◽  
Output Neurons ◽  
Stress Signals ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Chronic stress could induce severe cognitive impairments. Despite extensive investigations in mammalian models, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we show that chronic stress could induce dramatic learning and memory deficits in Drosophila melanogaster. The chronic stress–induced learning deficit (CSLD) is long lasting and associated with other depression-like behaviors. We demonstrated that excessive dopaminergic activity provokes susceptibility to CSLD. Remarkably, a pair of PPL1-γ1pedc dopaminergic neurons that project to the mushroom body (MB) γ1pedc compartment play a key role in regulating susceptibility to CSLD so that stress-induced PPL1-γ1pedc hyperactivity facilitates the development of CSLD. Consistently, the mushroom body output neurons (MBON) of the γ1pedc compartment, MBON-γ1pedc>α/β neurons, are important for modulating susceptibility to CSLD. Imaging studies showed that dopaminergic activity is necessary to provoke the development of chronic stress–induced maladaptations in the MB network. Together, our data support that PPL1-γ1pedc mediates chronic stress signals to drive allostatic maladaptations in the MB network that lead to CSLD.

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