Symmetry breaking in the female germline cyst

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Wilcockson
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry Nashchekin ◽  
Lara Busby ◽  
Maximilian Jacobs ◽  
Iolo Squires ◽  
Daniel St Johnston

In mammals and flies, only a limited number of cells in a multicellular female germline cyst become oocytes, but how the oocyte is selected is unknown. Here we show that the microtubule minus end-stabilizing protein, Patronin/CAMSAP marks the future Drosophila oocyte and is required for oocyte specification. The spectraplakin, Shot, recruits Patronin to the fusome, a branched structure extending into all cyst cells. Patronin stabilizes more microtubules in the cell with most fusome and this weak asymmetry is amplified by Dynein-dependent transport of Patronin-stabilized microtubules. This forms a polarized microtubule network, along which Dynein transports oocyte determinants into the presumptive oocyte. Thus, Patronin amplifies a weak fusome anisotropy to break cyst symmetry. These findings reveal a molecular mechanism of oocyte selection in the germline cyst.


Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 374 (6569) ◽  
pp. 874-879
Author(s):  
D. Nashchekin ◽  
L. Busby ◽  
M. Jakobs ◽  
I. Squires ◽  
D. St. Johnston

2004 ◽  
Vol 266 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malgorzata Kloc ◽  
Szczepan Bilinski ◽  
Matthew T Dougherty ◽  
Eric M Brey ◽  
Laurence D Etkin

Author(s):  
D.J. Eaglesham

Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction is now almost routinely used in the determination of the point- and space-groups of crystalline samples. In addition to its small-probe capability, CBED is also postulated to be more sensitive than X-ray diffraction in determining crystal symmetries. Multiple diffraction is phase-sensitive, so that the distinction between centro- and non-centro-symmetric space groups should be trivial in CBED: in addition, the stronger scattering of electrons may give a general increase in sensitivity to small atomic displacements. However, the sensitivity of CBED symmetry to the crystal point group has rarely been quantified, and CBED is also subject to symmetry-breaking due to local strains and inhomogeneities. The purpose of this paper is to classify the various types of symmetry-breaking, present calculations of the sensitivity, and illustrate symmetry-breaking by surface strains.CBED symmetry determinations usually proceed by determining the diffraction group along various zone axes, and hence finding the point group. The diffraction group can be found using either the intensity distribution in the discs


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1243-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukriti Kapoor ◽  
Sachin Kotak

Cellular asymmetries are vital for generating cell fate diversity during development and in stem cells. In the newly fertilized Caenorhabditis elegans embryo, centrosomes are responsible for polarity establishment, i.e. anterior–posterior body axis formation. The signal for polarity originates from the centrosomes and is transmitted to the cell cortex, where it disassembles the actomyosin network. This event leads to symmetry breaking and the establishment of distinct domains of evolutionarily conserved PAR proteins. However, the identity of an essential component that localizes to the centrosomes and promotes symmetry breaking was unknown. Recent work has uncovered that the loss of Aurora A kinase (AIR-1 in C. elegans and hereafter referred to as Aurora A) in the one-cell embryo disrupts stereotypical actomyosin-based cortical flows that occur at the time of polarity establishment. This misregulation of actomyosin flow dynamics results in the occurrence of two polarity axes. Notably, the role of Aurora A in ensuring a single polarity axis is independent of its well-established function in centrosome maturation. The mechanism by which Aurora A directs symmetry breaking is likely through direct regulation of Rho-dependent contractility. In this mini-review, we will discuss the unconventional role of Aurora A kinase in polarity establishment in C. elegans embryos and propose a refined model of centrosome-dependent symmetry breaking.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley D. Orsten ◽  
Mary C. Portillo ◽  
James R. Pomerantz
Keyword(s):  

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Poulain ◽  
Sophie Tourpin ◽  
Vincent Muczynski ◽  
Sebastien Messiaen ◽  
Delphine Moison ◽  
...  

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