title: Mechanism of nuclear movements in a multinucleated cell.
abstract: Multinucleated cells are important in many organisms, but the mechanisms governing the movements of nuclei sharing a common cytoplasm are not understood. In the hyphae of the plant pathogenic fungusAshbya gossypii, nuclei move back and forth, occasionally bypassing each other, preventing the formation of nuclear clusters. This is essential for genetic stability. These movements depend on cytoplasmic microtubules emanating from the nuclei that are pulled by dynein motors anchored at the cortex. Using three-dimensional stochastic simulations with parameters constrained by the literature, we predict the cortical anchor density from the characteristics of nuclear movements. The model accounts for the complex nuclear movements seen in vivo, using a minimal set of experimentally determined ingredients. Of interest, these ingredients power the oscillations of the anaphase spindle in budding yeast, but inA. gossypii, this system is not restricted to a specific nuclear cycle stage, possibly as a result of adaptation to hyphal growth and multinuclearity.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gibeaux
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Antonio Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.affiliation: Molecular Microbiology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philippsen
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany nedelec@embl.de.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nédélec
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000705:Anaphase / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004398:Dyneins / Q000378:metabolism; D055169:Eremothecium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D025301:Hyphae / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D004398:Dyneins