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DNA-replication/DNA-damage-dependent centrosome inactivation in Drosophila embryos

Nature Cell Biology volume 2, pages 90–95 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

During early embryogenesis of Drosophila melanogaster, mutations in the DNA-replication checkpoint lead to chromosome-segregation failures. Here we show that these segregation failures are associated with the assembly of an anastral microtubule spindle, a mitosis-specific loss of centrosome function, and dissociation of several components of the γ-tubulin ring complex from a core centrosomal structure. The DNA-replication inhibitor aphidicolin and DNA-damaging agents trigger identical mitotic defects in wild-type embryos, indicating that centrosome inactivation is a checkpoint-independent and mitosis-specific response to damaged or incompletely replicated DNA. We propose that centrosome inactivation is part of a damage-control system that blocks chromosome segregation when replication/damage checkpoint control fails.

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Figure 1: In vivo analysis of microtubule reorganization during development of grp mutant embryos.
Figure 2: Anastral spindles and chromosome-congression defects occur in checkpoint mutants.
Figure 3: γ-Tubulin mislocalization in grp mutants correlates with chromosome alignment and spindle-assembly defects.
Figure 4: Mitosis-specific loss of γ-tubulin from a core centrosomal structure.
Figure 5: Defects in the centrosomal localization of Dgrip84 and Dgrip91, components of the γ-tubulin ring complex, in grp mutant embryos.
Figure 6: Centromere alignment by anastral spindles.
Figure 7: Aphidicolin triggers mitosis-specific loss of γ-tubulin localization in wild-type embryos.
Figure 8: Laser illumination triggers mitosis-specific defects in centrosome function and blocks chromosome segregation.
Figure 9: DNA-damage control in early Drosophila embryos.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the NIH (RO1GM50898) to W.E.T.

Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to W.E.T.

Supplementary information is available on Nature Cell Biology’s World-Wide Web site (http://cellbio.nature.com) or as paper copy from the London editorial office of Nature Cell Biology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Ody C. M. Sibon & Willy Lemstra

  2. Program in Molecular Medicine and Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, 373 Plantation Street, Worcester, 01605 , Massachusetts, USA

    Anju Kelkar & William E. Theurkauf

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William E. Theurkauf.

Supplementary information

Figure 1 supplementary movie

Microtubule reorganization in a grp checkpoint mutant embryo during the disrupted 13th mitosis. Centrosomes nucleate dynamic microtubule during interphase 13, but loose nucleating activity as the embryo initiates mitosis. Asters reform as the embryo exits mitosis. See also http://pmm1.umassmed.edu/theurkauf. (MOV 4286 kb)

Figure 2 supplementary movie

Microtubule (right) and chromatin (left) in a grp mutant embryo. During the first two mitoses in this sequence (mitosis 11 and 12), astral spindles form and chromosomes align and segregate normally. During the last mitosis in the sequence (mitosis 13), by contrast, tubulin incorporation into centrosomes decreases dramatically, anastral spindles form, and chromosome congression and segregation fail. Centrosomes regain nucleating activity on exit from this failed mitosis. See also http://pmm1.umassmed.edu/theurkauf. (MOV 5017 kb)

Figure 8a-d supplementary movie

Microtubules (left) and chromatin (right) in a wild type embryo during divisions 11 and 12, imaged under standard conditions. Centrosomes are maintained through the cell cycle, astral spindles assemble, and chromosomes align and segregate during mitosis. See also http://pmm1.umassmed.edu/theurkauf. (MOV 2801 kb)

Figure 8e-h supplementary movie

Microtubules (right) and chromatin (left) in a wild type embryo intentionally exposed to damaging levels of laser illumination. During interphase, centrosomes nucleate dynamic microtubule arrays. At the onset of mitosis, however, nucleating activity drops dramatically, anastral spindles assemble, and chromosomes fail to congress to the metaphase plate. On exit from mitosis, chromosome segregation fails and centrosomes regain nucleating activity. These defects are essentially indistinguishable from those observed in late syncytial blastoderm stage checkpoint mutants (compare to Figure 1 supplement). See also http://pmm1.umassmed.edu/theurkauf. (MOV 3999 kb)

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Sibon, O., Kelkar, A., Lemstra, W. et al. DNA-replication/DNA-damage-dependent centrosome inactivation in Drosophila embryos. Nat Cell Biol 2, 90–95 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35000041

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