Subin Myong, Jenna K Cosby, Brianna N Padilla, David M Opozda, Jacob D Kahn, Naima Akter, Eileen T O Apos Toole, Natalie J Nannas
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Spindles are microtubules-based machines whose primary function is to accurately segregate chromosomes in both mitotic and meiotic cell division. The structure of spindles is critical for their function; errors in morphology or attachment to chromosomes lead to aneuploidy, potentially resulting in disease, infertility, and lethality. Electron microscopy studies have yielded fine-detail spindle ultrastructures in many plant and animal species, but no studies have investigated the spindle of Zea mays, a critical crop, and cytogenetic model system.
Methods: Here we use electron tomography (ET), reconstruction, and modeling to obtain three-dimensional, nanometer-resolution of the Z. mays meiotic spindle. Structures such as microtubules, kinetochores, vesicles, membrane channels, and nuclear envelope were modeled through a partial spindle reconstruction, and confirmed using immunostaining and live fluorescence microscopy.
Results: ET revealed that maize spindles contain 8-18 kinetochore microtubules (kMTs) per kinetochore, which are approximately 776 nm in diameter and 316 nm in depth. Small ∼37 nm vesicles were identified, as well as larger (∼5 µm long, 800 nm wide) membrane structures with channels that allow spindle microtubules to pass through. These membrane channels stain positively for the ER-marker protein disulfide isomerase. Imaging of prophase meiotic cells revealed a cross-hatch microtubule arrangement in the perinuclear ring on the external surface of the nuclear envelope, which also contained type II nuclear grooves with transnuclear microtubules passing from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.
Conclusions: Z. mays meiotic spindles are similar to animal counterparts with a comparable number of kMTs and pre-spindle transnuclear microtubules but also plant-specific features such as Golgi-derived vesicles to assist cell plate formation, internal ER membrane channels, and a perinuclear microtubule ring that aids spindle assembly. Maize kinetochores have an electron-diffuse ball in cup morphology that is comparable in size to Drosophila kinetochores and larger than mammalian kinetochores.
期刊介绍:
During the last decades, ''Cytogenetic and Genome Research'' has been the leading forum for original reports and reviews in human and animal cytogenetics, including molecular, clinical and comparative cytogenetics. In recent years, most of its papers have centered on genome research, including gene cloning and sequencing, gene mapping, gene regulation and expression, cancer genetics, comparative genetics, gene linkage and related areas. The journal also publishes key papers on chromosome aberrations in somatic, meiotic and malignant cells. Its scope has expanded to include studies on invertebrate and plant cytogenetics and genomics. Also featured are the vast majority of the reports of the International Workshops on Human Chromosome Mapping, the reports of international human and animal chromosome nomenclature committees, and proceedings of the American and European cytogenetic conferences and other events. In addition to regular issues, the journal has been publishing since 2002 a series of topical issues on a broad variety of themes from cytogenetic and genome research.