Collective nuclear behavior shapes bilateral nuclear symmetry for subsequent left-right asymmetric morphogenesis in Drosophila

ABSTRACT Proper organ development often requires nuclei to move to a specific position within the cell. To determine how nuclear positioning affects left-right (LR) development in the Drosophila anterior midgut (AMG), we developed a surface-modeling method to measure and describe nuclear behavior at stages 13-14, captured in three-dimensional time-lapse movies. We describe the distinctive positioning and a novel collective nuclear behavior by which nuclei align LR symmetrically along the anterior-posterior axis in the visceral muscles that overlie the midgut and are responsible for the LR-asymmetric development of this organ. Wnt4 signaling is crucial for the collective behavior and proper positioning of the nuclei, as are myosin II and the LINC complex, without which the nuclei fail to align LR symmetrically. The LR-symmetric positioning of the nuclei is important for the subsequent LR-asymmetric development of the AMG. We propose that the bilaterally symmetrical positioning of these nuclei may be mechanically coupled with subsequent LR-asymmetric morphogenesis.

Collective nuclear behavior shapes bilateral nuclear symmetry for subsequent left-right asymmetric morphogenesis in Drosophila

SummaryProper organ development often requires nuclei to move to a specific position within the cell. To determine how nuclear positioning affects left-right (LR) development in the Drosophila anterior midgut (AMG), we developed a surface-modeling method to measure and describe nuclear behavior at stages 13-14, captured in three-dimensional time-lapse movies. We describe the distinctive positioning and a novel collective nuclear behavior by which nuclei align LR-symmetrically along the anterior-posterior axis in the visceral muscles that overlie the midgut and are responsible for this organ’s LR-asymmetric development. Wnt4 signaling is crucial for the collective behavior and proper positioning of the nuclei, as are myosin II and LINC complex, without which the nuclei failed to align LR-symmetrically. The LR-symmetric positioning of the nuclei is important for the subsequent LR-asymmetric development of the AMG. We propose that the bilaterally symmetrical positioning of these nuclei may be mechanically coupled with subsequent LR-asymmetric morphogenesis.

The Electromagnetic Considerations of the Nuclear Force

This paper explores how the electromagnetic energies of the quarks within the nucleus affect the behavior of the nuclear force. By examining the electromagnetic energies and forces, many questions about nuclear behavior can be answered and many insights into the nucleus can be gained. Previous theoretical models for the nuclear force include only the Coulomb electric forces, but with a disregard of the electromagnetic characteristics of the quarks. By incorporating the electromagnetic energies and forces into nuclear theory, this model has been able to achieve predictions of binding energy better than any previous model, doing so by using only one variable instead of five. This model also directly unifies the nuclear force to the electromagnetic force.

Microtubule motors involved in nuclear movement during skeletal muscle differentiation

Nuclear positioning is a determining event in several cellular processes, such as fertilization, cell migration, and cell differentiation. The structure and function of muscle cells, which contain hundreds of nuclei, have been shown to rely in part on proper nuclear positioning. Remarkably, in the course of muscle differentiation, nuclear movements along the myotube axis might represent the event required for the even positioning of nuclei in the mature myofiber. Here we analyze nuclear behavior, time in motion, speed, and alignment during myotube differentiation and temporal interference of cytoskeletal microtubule-related motors. Using specific inhibitors, we find that nuclear movement and alignment are microtubule dependent, with 19 microtubule motor proteins implicated in at least one nuclear behavior. We further focus on Kif1c, Kif5b, kif9, kif21b, and Kif1a, which affect nuclear alignment. These results emphasize the different roles of molecular motors in particular mechanisms.