focus on development abstract
Nature Cell Biology 3, 637 - 642 (2001)
Published online: 6 June 2001 | doi:10.1038/35083025
Msps protein is localized to acentrosomal poles to ensure bipolarity of Drosophila meiotic spindles
C. Fiona Cullen1 & Hiroyuki Ohkura1
Abstract
The female meiotic spindle is commonly formed in a centrosome-independent manner. Here we report the identification of proteins at acentrosomal poles in the female meiotic spindle of Drosophila. The acentrosomal poles contain at least two proteins, Mini-spindles (Msps) and D-TACC, which are also associated with mitotic centrosomes. These proteins interact with one another and are both required for maintaining the bipolarity of acentrosomal spindles. The polar localization of Msps is dependent on D-TACC and Ncd, a kinesin-like microtubule motor. We propose that the polar localization of Msps mediated by D-TACC and Ncd may be crucial for the stabilization of meiotic spindle bipolarity.
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK
Correspondence to: Hiroyuki Ohkura1 e-mail: h.ohkura@ed.ac.uk
