Vaizel-Ohayon D, Schejter E D
Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
Curr Biol. 1999 Aug 26;9(16):889-98. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(99)80393-5.
Although centrosomes serve as the primary organizing centers for the microtubule-based cytoskeleton in animal cells, various studies question the requirements for these organelles during the formation of microtubule arrays and execution of microtubule-dependent processes. Using a genetic approach to interfere with centrosomal function, we present an assessment of this issue, in the context of early embryogenesis of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.
We identified mutant alleles of the centrosomin (cnn) locus, which encodes a core component of centrosomes in Drosophila. The cnn mutant flies were viable but sterile. The normal course of early embryonic development was arrested in all progeny of cnn mutant females. Our analysis identified a failure to form functional centrosomes and spindle poles as the primary mutant phenotype of cnn embryos. Various aspects of early development that are dependent on cytoskeletal control were disrupted in cnn mutant embryos. In particular, structural rearrangements of cortical microfilaments were strongly dependent on proper centrosomal function.
Centrosomin is an essential core component of early embryonic centrosomes in Drosophila. Microtubule-dependent events of early embryogenesis display differential requirements for centrosomal function.
虽然中心体是动物细胞中基于微管的细胞骨架的主要组织中心，但各种研究对这些细胞器在微管阵列形成和微管依赖性过程执行期间的必要性提出了质疑。我们采用遗传学方法干扰中心体功能，在果蝇黑腹果蝇的早期胚胎发育背景下，对这一问题进行了评估。
我们鉴定了中心体蛋白（cnn）基因座的突变等位基因，该基因座编码果蝇中心体的核心成分。cnn突变果蝇能够存活但不育。cnn突变雌性的所有后代早期胚胎发育的正常进程均被阻断。我们的分析确定，无法形成功能性中心体和纺锤体极是cnn胚胎的主要突变表型。cnn突变胚胎中依赖于细胞骨架控制的早期发育的各个方面均受到破坏。特别是，皮质微丝的结构重排强烈依赖于正常的中心体功能。
中心体蛋白是果蝇早期胚胎中心体的必需核心成分。早期胚胎发育中依赖微管的事件对中心体功能表现出不同的需求。
