C. elegans kinesin 1 regulates meiotic spindle size.

Abstract

During C. elegans female meiosis, kinesin 1 transports yolk granules inward which appears to indirectly drive outward movement of the meiotic spindle to the cortex. Here we examined the size of the centrally located metaphase I meiotic spindle in a germline null allele of kinesin 1 heavy chain. Centrally located meiotic spindles were both longer and wider in kinesin germline null embryos compared with cortical meiotic spindles in controls. Spindle size might be minimized by cortically localized signaling machinery. Alternatively, kinesin 1 which localizes on the spindle during metaphase, may act directly on microtubules to minimize spindle size.