title: LIN-41 inactivation leads to delayed centrosome elimination and abnormal chromosome behavior during female meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: During oogenesis, two successive meiotic cell divisions occur without functional centrosomes because of the inactivation and subsequent elimination of maternal centrosomes during the diplotene stage of meiosis I. Despite being a conserved phenomenon in most metazoans, the means by which this centrosome behavior is controlled during female meiosis remain elusive. Here, we conducted a targeted RNAi screening in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad to identify novel regulators of centrosome behavior during oogenesis. We screened 513 genes known to be essential for embryo production and directly visualized GFP-γ-tubulin to monitor centrosome behavior at all stages of oogenesis. In the screening, we found that RNAi-mediated inactivation of 33 genes delayed the elimination of GFP-γ-tubulin at centrosomes during oogenesis, whereas inactivation of nine genes accelerated the process. Depletion of the TRIM-NHL protein LIN-41 led to a significant delay in centrosome elimination and to the separation and reactivation of centrosomes during oogenesis. Upon LIN-41 depletion, meiotic chromosomes were abnormally condensed and pulled toward one of the two spindle poles around late pachytene even though the spindle microtubules emanated from both centrosomes. Overall, our work provides new insights into the regulation of centrosome behavior to ensure critical meiotic events and the generation of intact oocytes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Centrosome Biology, Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Rieko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.affiliation: Division of Centrosome Biology, Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashikawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Centrosome Biology, Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.affiliation: Division of Centrosome Biology, Department of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan dkitagaw@nig.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Daiju
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018385:Centrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D019926:Cyclin B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008540:Meiosis; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D019926:Cyclin B; C410586:LIN-41 protein, C elegans; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014404:Tubulin; D016203:CDC2 Protein Kinase