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Centrosomes and the Scrambled protein coordinate microtubule-independent actin reorganization

Nature Cell Biology volume 3, pages 68–75 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

In Drosophila syncytial blastoderm embryos, centrosomes specify the position of actin-based interphase caps and mitotic furrows. Mutations in the scrambled locus prevent assembly of mitotic furrows, but do not block actin cap formation. The scrambled gene encodes a protein that localizes to the mitotic furrows and centrosomes. Sced localization, actin reorganization from caps into mitotic furrows, and centrosome-coordinated assembly of actin caps are not blocked by microtubule disruption. Our results indicate that centrosomes may coordinate assembly of cortical actin caps through a microtubule-independent mechanism, and that Scrambled mediates a second microtubule-independent process that drives mitotic furrow assembly.

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Figure 1: The sced mutation disrupts mitosis-specific actin organization during the syncytial blastoderm divisions.
Figure 2: Actin cap disruption with cytochalasin D enhances the sced mutant phenotype.
Figure 3: Molecular characterization of the sced locus.
Figure 4: Sced protein localizes to centrosomes and mitotic furrows.
Figure 5: Normal microtubule organization is not required for actin cap or mitotic furrow assembly.
Figure 6: In vivo analysis of mitotic furrow assembly in colchicine-treated embryos.

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. J. Cha and D. McCollum for helpful comments on the manuscript, and former and current members of the Theurkauf and Doxsey laboratories for critical discussions during the course of this project. This publication was made possible by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes for Heath. The contents of this work are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences or NIH.

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Author notes

  1. Joseph Kramer

    Present address: Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, 345 Briggs Hall, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California, 95616 , USA

  2. Victoria A. Stevenson and Joseph Kramer: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

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

    Victoria A. Stevenson & William E. Theurkauf

  2. Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, 11794, New York, USA

    Jesse Kuhn

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  1. Victoria A. Stevenson
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  4. William E. Theurkauf
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Correspondence to William E. Theurkauf.

Supplementary information

Figure S1

Chromosome behaviour in wild-type and sced embryos. (PDF 325 kb)

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Stevenson, V., Kramer, J., Kuhn, J. et al. Centrosomes and the Scrambled protein coordinate microtubule-independent actin reorganization. Nat Cell Biol 3, 68–75 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35050579

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