title: Activation of the metaphase checkpoint and an apoptosis programme in the early zebrafish embryo, by treatment with the spindle-destabilising agent nocodazole.
abstract: We have studied the developmental activation of the metaphase checkpoint, and the consequences of activating this checkpoint, in the zebrafish embryo. (1) Treatment with nocodazole (a microtubule destabiliser) before mid-blastula transition (MBT) produces complete destruction of all nuclei in the deep cell layer of the embryo. In contrast, nocodazole treatment after MBT efficiently produces metaphase arrest in this cell layer. Thus, the metaphase checkpoint becomes activated at MBT. (2) Although a metaphase arrest is induced by nocodazole, it is not induced by paclitaxel (a microtubule stabiliser). Thus the metaphase checkpoint appears to sense a destabilisation, but not a stabilisation, of spindle microtubules. (3) Metaphase-arrested cells (in nocodazole) can be driven into the next interphase by adding the Ca2+-specific ionophore A23187. Thus, a Ca2+-signalling pathway lies downstream of, or parallel to, the metaphase checkpoint. (4) After mid-gastrula stage, treatment with nocodazole produces DNA fragmentation in all three cell layers. In the enveloping epithelial monolayer (EVL), this is associated with a classical apoptotic phenotype. In the deep layer, it is associated with an unusual, highly condensed nuclear state that is entered directly from metaphase arrest. Thus, after the mid-gastrula stage, the embryo responds to nocodazle by undergoing apoptosis. (5) Nocodazole-induced apoptosis in the deep cell layer can be blocked by the caspase-1,4,5 inhibitors Ac-YVAD-CHO and Ac-YVAD-CMK. This suggests that a homologue of the C. elegans ced-9-ced-4-ced-3 pathway is involved in control over apoptosis in the early zebrafish embryo.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental Biology and Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rivera-Bennetts
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Yager
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000187:drug effects; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D005775:Gastrula / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D008677:Metaphase / Q000187:drug effects*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D007476:Ionophores; C098738:N-acetyl-tyrosyl-valyl-alanyl-aspartyl chloromethyl ketone; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C096429:L 709049; D000001:Calcimycin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D015739:Nocodazole