Composition and dynamics of the nucleolinus, a link between the nucleolus and cell division apparatus in surf clam (Spisula) oocytes
Citable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5069As published
https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M111.288506Keyword
Centrosome; Spindle; Centrosomal RNA; Nucleolinus; Centriole; Cell cycleAbstract
The nucleolinus is a little-known
cellular structure, discovered over 150
years ago (1) and thought by some
investigators in the late 19th to mid-20th
century to function in the formation of the
centrosomes or spindle. A role for the
nucleolinus in formation of the cell division
apparatus has recently been confirmed in
oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima
(2). However, we know so little about the
composition and dynamics of this
compartment, it is difficult to construct
mechanistic hypotheses or even to be sure
that prior reports were describing
analogous structures in the cells of mammals, amphibians, plants, and other
organisms where it was observed. Surf
clam oocytes are an attractive model to
approach this problem because the
nucleolinus is easily visible by light
microscopy, making it accessible by laser
microsurgery as well as isolation by
common cell fractionation techniques. In
this report we analyze the macromolecular
composition of isolated Spisula nucleolini
and examine the relationship of this
structure to the nucleolus and cell division
apparatus. Analysis of nucleolinar RNA
and protein revealed a set of molecules that
overlaps with, but is nevertheless distinct
from the nucleolus. The proteins identified
were primarily ones involved in nucleic acid
metabolism and cell cycle regulation.
Monoclonal antibodies generated against
isolated nucleolini revealed centrosomal
forerunners in the oocyte cytoplasm.
Finally, induction of damage to the
nucleolinus by laser microsurgery altered
the trafficking of α- and γ-tubulin after
fertilization. These observations strongly
support a role for the nucleolinus in cell
division and represent our first clues
regarding mechanism.
Description
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Biological Chemistry 287 (2012): 6702-6713, doi:10.1074/jbc.M111.288506.
Suggested Citation
Preprint: Alliegro, Mark C., Hartson, Steven, Alliegro, Mary Anne, "Composition and dynamics of the nucleolinus, a link between the nucleolus and cell division apparatus in surf clam (Spisula) oocytes", 2011-12-26, https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M111.288506, https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5069Related items
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