Changes in cytoplasmic volume are sufficient to drive spindle scaling.
The mitotic spindle must function in cell types that vary greatly in size, and its dimensions scale with the rapid, reductive cell divisions that accompany early stages of development. The mechanism responsible for this scaling is unclear, because uncoupling cell size from a developmental or cellular context has proven experimentally challenging. We combined microfluidic technology with Xenopus egg extracts to characterize spindle assembly within discrete, geometrically defined volumes of cytoplasm. Reductions in cytoplasmic volume, rather than developmental cues or changes in cell shape, were sufficient to recapitulate spindle scaling observed in Xenopus embryos. Thus, mechanisms extrinsic to the spindle, specifically a limiting pool of cytoplasmic component(s), play a major role in determining spindle size.
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
James
J
Hazel
Kaspars
K
Krutkramelis
Paul
P
Mooney
Miroslav
M
Tomschik
Ken
K
Gerow
John
J
Oakey
J C
JC
Gatlin
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D048429:Cell Size; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014981:Xenopus
D002457:Cell Extracts