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Self-organization of microtubule bundles in anucleate fission yeast cells

Nature Cell Biology volume 8, pages 1108–1113 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Self-organization of cellular structures is an emerging principle underlying cellular architecture. Properties of dynamic microtubules and microtubule-binding proteins contribute to the self-assembly of structures such as microtubule asters1,2. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, longitudinal arrays of cytoplasmic microtubule bundles regulate cell polarity and nuclear positioning3,4,5. These bundles are thought to be organized from the nucleus at multiple interphase microtubule organizing centres (iMTOCs)3. Here, we find that microtubule bundles assemble even in cells that lack a nucleus. These bundles have normal organization, dynamics and orientation, and exhibit anti-parallel overlaps in the middle of the cell. The mechanisms that are responsible for formation of these microtubule bundles include cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation, microtubule release from the equatorial MTOC (eMTOC), and the dynamic fusion and splitting of microtubule bundles. Bundle formation and organization are dependent on mto1p (γ-TUC associated protein), ase1p (PRC1), klp2p (kinesin-14) and tip1p (CLIP-170). Positioning of nuclear fragments and polarity factors by these microtubules illustrates how self-organization of these bundles contributes to establishing global spatial order.

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Figure 1: Anucleate cells exhibit microtubule (MT) bundles with normal organization and distribution.
Figure 2: Anucleate cells have stable iMTOC-like structures.
Figure 3: Generation of microtubule bundles in anucleate cells.
Figure 4: Movement of a mini-nuclear fragment by a microtubule bundle.

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Acknowledgements

We thank P. Tran and R. Carazo-Salas for strains, the Chang lab and I. Zhurinsky for fruitful discussions, J. Jimenez for use of his laboratory and P. Nurse for support of R.D. during a portion of this work. This work was supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant (GM069670) to F.C.

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  1. Rafael R. Daga & Silvia Salas-Pino

    Present address: Centro Andaluz de Biologìa del Desarrollo, CSIC/Universidad Pablo de Olavide Carretera de Utrera Km1, Sevilla, 41013, Spain

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  1. Microbiology Department, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 701 168th St., New York, 10032, NY, USA

    Rafael R. Daga, Kyeng-Gea Lee, Scott Bratman, Silvia Salas-Pino & Fred Chang

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Correspondence to Fred Chang.

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Daga, R., Lee, KG., Bratman, S. et al. Self-organization of microtubule bundles in anucleate fission yeast cells. Nat Cell Biol 8, 1108–1113 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1480

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