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J. Cell Biol., Volume 142, Number 3, August 10, 1998 751-761

Spindle Self-organization and Cytokinesis During Male Meiosis in asterless Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

Silvia Bonaccorsi, Maria Grazia Giansanti, and Maurizio Gatti

Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Universita' di Roma La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy

While Drosophila female meiosis is anastral, both meiotic divisions in Drosophila males exhibit prominent asters. We have identified a gene we call asterless (asl) that is required for aster formation during male meiosis. Ultrastructural analysis showed that asl mutants have morphologically normal centrioles. However, immunostaining with antibodies directed either to gamma  tubulin or centrosomin revealed that these proteins do not accumulate in the centrosomes, as occurs in wild-type. Thus, asl appears to specify a function required for the assembly of centrosomal material around the centrioles.

Despite the absence of asters, meiotic cells of asl mutants manage to develop an anastral spindle. Microtubules grow from multiple sites around the chromosomes, and then focus into a peculiar bipolar spindle that mediates chromosome segregation, although in a highly irregular way.

Surprisingly, asl spermatocytes eventually form a morphologically normal ana-telophase central spindle that has full ability to stimulate cytokinesis. These findings challenge the classical view on central spindle assembly, arguing for a self-organization of this structure from either preexisting or newly formed microtubules. In addition, these findings strongly suggest that the asters are not required for signaling cytokinesis.

Key words: centrosomespindle assemblycytokinesismale meiosisDrosophila


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