Spindle assembly in the oocytes of mouse and Drosophila--similar solutions to a problem.
In the oocytes of many organisms a bipolar spindle is assembled in the absence of centrosomes. In this article we review how this occurs in two model organisms, Drosophila melanogaster and Mus musculus. Common themes include an important role for the chromosomes but paradoxically, organization of a bipolar spindle may not involve kinetochore microtubules. Some comparisons are not yet possible, however, since the same genes have usually not been studied in both systems.
Doubilet
Susan
S
Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA.
McKim
Kim S
KS
D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018386:Kinetochores / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008954:Models, Biological; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity