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PubMed2001

Mitogen-induced p53 downregulation precedes vascular smooth muscle cell migration from healthy tunica media and proliferation.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays an important role in the cell-cycle G(1) and G(2) checkpoints. In response to DNA damage, p53 can induce the transcription of p21, which inhibits the activation of various G(1) cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes. It is not known whether p53 plays a role in the initial migration of vascular smooth muscle cells from the arterial tunica media (mVSMCs). In this study, we have investigated whether mVSMC migration from healthy tunica media of young pigs and proliferation are regulated by p53. After 6 hours of incubation in mitogen-rich medium, explanted porcine tunica media tissue showed complete downregulation of p53 protein and p53 mRNA. The blockage of gene activity was not due to DNA methylation at the 5' control region of the gene. The mVSMC outgrowth did not show p53 expression. Mitogen-depletion of cultured p53(-)/mVSMCs did not restore p53 expression. Incubation of explanted porcine tunica media tissue in mitogen-deprived medium increased p53 protein content and blocked mVSMC outgrowth from the explant. As in p53-deficient rodent cells, mVSMCs incubated with colcemid overrode the spindle-dependent checkpoint, giving polyploidy and chromosomal pairing. UV-induced DNA damage in mVSMCs incubated with mitogen-free medium induced p53 expression and apoptotic cell death showing DNA nucleosomal laddering. However, UV-irradiated mVSMCs incubated in mitogen-rich medium did not express p53 and did not show cell death. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that early mVSMC migration from the tunica media requires mitogen-induced suppression of p53 that is highly expressed in contractile mVSMCs residing in the healthy vessel wall.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Quantitative trait loci in genetically hypertensive rats. Possible sex specificity.

We performed a total genome screen in an F2 cross derived from the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat and the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rat. Blood pressure at baseline and after 1% NaCl was measured by radiotelemetry; other phenotypes included heart rate, motor activity, left ventricle weight to body weight ratio, and vascular smooth muscle cell polyploidy, a measure of vascular hypertrophy. Quantitative trait loci affecting a given phenotype were mapped relative to microsatellite markers by using the MAPMAKER/QTL 1.1 computer package. We identified three blood pressure quantitative trait loci, two on rat chromosome 2 and one on rat chromosome 3. The quantitative trait loci close to genetic markers D2Mgh12 ("suggestive" linkage, with a maximal logarithm of the odds [LOD] score of 3.1) and D3Mgh16 (significant linkage, with a maximal LOD score of 5.6) showed possible sex specificity in the male F2 cohort only. This was confirmed by the likelihood ratio test for the difference in locus effects between the sexes. We also identified a new quantitative trait locus for LV hypertrophy on rat chromosome 14 ("suggestive" linkage, with a maximal LOD score of 3.1). The sex specificity of blood pressure quantitative trait loci will be important in designing congenic strains and substrains for fine genetic mapping and for identifying genes that regulate blood pressure.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Pressure mediates angiotensin II-induced arterial hypertrophy and PDGF-A expression.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) may induce arterial hypertrophy either directly or through an increase in arterial pressure. To separate these 2 mechanisms, rats were implanted with osmopumps delivering either Ang II (100 ng x kg-1 x min-1) or saline. 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was delivered to both groups by osmopump (2.5 microg x kg-1 x min-1). Half of the rats in each group were given minoxidil (9 mg x kg-1 . d-1) in their drinking water. After 14 days, systolic blood pressure was 117+/-2, 124+/-3, and 115+/-2 mm Hg in the control, Ang II-minoxidil, and minoxidil groups, respectively, and 181+/-6 mm Hg in the Ang II group (P<0.05). After perfusion-fixation, the thoracic aorta, carotid artery, small mesenteric artery, external spermatic artery, and kidneys were harvested, paraffin-embedded, and used for morphological measurements, immunohistochemistry for BrdU, and in situ hybridization with a 35S-labeled riboprobe for platelet-derived growth factor-A chain (PDGF-A) mRNA. The walls of the aorta and carotid arteries hypertrophied in the Ang II group only. There were no significant morphological differences in the small arteries. BrdU was negative in all arteries but positive in the renal tubules. Expression of PDGF-A was elevated 8-fold in the thoracic aorta of the Ang II group (P<0.05). These results show that (1) arterial hypertrophy from Ang II infusion occurs in response to elevated arterial pressure, (2) hypertrophy was not associated with hyperplasia or polyploidy of vascular smooth muscle cells, and (3) PDGF-A expression correlated with elevated pressure and arterial wall hypertrophy.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1999

Telemetry for cardiovascular monitoring in a pharmacological study: new approaches to data analysis.

Radio-telemetry systems offer the ability to measure blood pressure and heart rate in experimental models of hypertension without the stress artifacts induced by some other methods. We therefore aimed to develop improved, nonparametric regression methods for radio-telemetry data and to use these to assess the effects of pharmacological interventions on cardiac and vascular hypertrophy in the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat. One control group and 5 groups treated either with losartan (alone or in combination with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester [ L-NAME]), perindopril (also alone or in combination with L-NAME), or hydralazine plus hydrochlorothiazide were monitored for 4 weeks. Cardiac hypertrophy was assessed by the left ventricle plus septum weight to body weight ratio and vascular hypertrophy by flow-cytometry analysis of vascular smooth muscle cell polyploidy. Hemodynamic series were split into trend and cyclic components by the seasonal and trend decomposition procedure based on Loess and compared between groups by Loess regression modeling. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced systematically by losartan and perindopril (P<10(-10)) but to a lesser extent by hydralazine plus hydrochlorothiazide (P<10(-8)), and diurnal variation was reduced in the latter group (P<10(-6)). L-NAME significantly reduced the hypotensive effect only of losartan. Vascular and cardiac hypertrophy were significantly attenuated with losartan or perindopril, but were unchanged with other treatments. The new analysis proposed here identifies differential effects on trends and cyclic variation and associations with regression of end-organ damage for losartan and perindopril compared with hydralazine plus hydrochlorothiazide. The method offers a powerful tool for detailed investigation of radio-telemetry data.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Growth response of tetraploid smooth muscle cells to balloon embolectomy-induced vascular injury in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Previous studies in this laboratory have demonstrated that smooth muscle hypertrophy in large arteries of hypertensive animals is accompanied by development of polyploidy in a large fraction of the smooth muscle cell population. The present studies address whether there is an inherent loss in the ability of tetraploid cells to respond to proliferative stimuli by examining whether these cells initiate DNA replication after balloon catheter-induced vascular injury. Left carotid arteries of 5- to 7-month-old spontaneously hypertensive rats were subjected to balloon injury, and the animals were perfused intravenously with [3H]thymidine for 32 h. The animals were killed, and smooth muscle cells were isolated from carotid medial preparation by enzymatic digestion. Cells were processed for simultaneous autoradiographic analysis of [3H]thymidine incorporation and fluorometric analysis of cellular DNA content as a means of simultaneously assessing both the ploidy level of a cell and whether or not it had initiated DNA replication in response to balloon injury. Results demonstrated the presence of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells with DNA contents that were greater than 4C but less than 8C (p less than 0.01), indicating that they are cycling tetraploid cells. These data demonstrate that tetraploid smooth muscle cells in vivo are capable of initiating DNA synthesis in response to balloon injury. Results indicate that there is not an inherent loss in the capacity of tetraploid cells to respond to a proliferative stimulus, although it remains to be determined whether the polyploid cells that initiate DNA replication after balloon injury actually go on to divide.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Detection of structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities in interphase cells using spectral imaging.

Chromosome abnormalities are common causes of congenital malformations and spontaneous abortions. They include structural abnormalities, polyploidy, trisomy, and mosaicism. In in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of oocytes and embryos has become the technique of choice to select against abnormal embryos before embryo transfer. For diagnosis of structural abnormalities, we developed case-specific breakpoint-spanning DNA probes. Screening of an in-house yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) library is facilitated by information from publicly available databases and published articles. Most numerical chromosome abnormalities, on the other hand, are detrimental to early embryonic development and increase with maternal age. We therefore developed a multichromosome screening technique based on spectral imaging to simultaneously detect and score as many as 10 different chromosome types. The probe set was chosen to detect more than 70% of all numerical chromosome aberrations responsible for spontaneous abortions. Detecting structural and numerical abnormalities in single interphase cells using spectral imaging is a powerful technique for multilocus genetic screening.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed2003

BUBR1 deficiency results in abnormal megakaryopoiesis.

The physiologic function of BUBR1, a key component of the spindle checkpoint, was examined by generating BUBR1-mutant mice. BUBR1(-/-) embryos failed to survive beyond day 8.5 in utero as a result of extensive apoptosis. Whereas BUBR1(+/-) blastocysts grew relatively normally in vitro, BUBR1(-/-) blastocysts exhibited impaired proliferation and atrophied. Adult BUBR1(+/-) mice manifested splenomegaly and abnormal megakaryopoiesis. BUBR1 haploinsufficiency resulted in an increase in the number of splenic megakaryocytes, which was correlated with an increase in megakaryocytic, but a decrease in erythroid, progenitors in bone marrow cells. RNA interference-mediated down-regulation of BUBR1 also caused an increase in polyploidy formation in murine embryonic fibroblast cells and enhanced megakaryopoiesis in bone marrow progenitor cells. However, enhanced megakaryopoiesis in BUBR1(+/-) mice was not correlated with a significant increase in platelets in peripheral blood, which was at least partly due to a defect in the formation of proplatelet-producing megakaryocytes. Together, these results indicate that BUBR1 is essential for early embryonic development and normal hematopoiesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Transfer of differentiation signal by membrane microvesicles harboring hedgehog morphogens.

Hedgehog (Hh) proteins are considered diffusible morphogens that can be membrane anchored, playing an essential role during development. Here we show that Hh morphogens are associated with microvesicles (MVs) shed from the plasma membrane of apoptotic/stimulated T cells. Hh+ MVs induced differentiation of human K562 pluripotent erythroleukemic cells toward megakaryocytic lineage, as testified to by the expression of alpha(IIb)beta3 integrin and CD42b and changes in the cell cycle. Blocking Hh pathway with either cyclopamine, neutralizing antibodies, or inhibitors of the protein kinase A pathway resulted in the inhibition of these effects. Activation of Hh signaling by SAG, a synthetic agonist, mimicked effects of Hh+ MVs on K562 cells. Human Hh+ MVs, circulating in vivo or derived from apoptotic/stimulated lymphocytes from healthy and diabetic individuals, elicited K562 cell differentiation, also inhibited by cyclopamine. In addition, Hh+ MV-treated primary human CD34+ cells presented an increase of CD41+ CD42- and CD41+ CD42+ megakaryocytic populations with an increase of corresponding polyploidy, both being reduced by blockers of the Hh pathway. Because virtually all cell types undergo plasma membrane remodeling when stimulated, derived MVs can therefore be considered true vectors in the transfer of morphogen-borne biologic information to remote responsive cells, and thereby contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis.

Antigens, CD34↗
PubMed2026

Inhibition of the atypical kinase WNK1 as a therapeutic strategy in TAL-related T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Driver mutations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) rarely affect druggable kinases. However, these kinases can be aberrantly activated or repressed as secondary oncogenic events. Thus, integrating unbiased phosphoproteomics with genomic approaches may offer novel opportunities for target discovery and therapeutic interventions. In our study, we identified WNK1 (with no lysine [K]) as a potential target in T-ALL by pairing a list of vulnerable kinases with data from a phosphoproteomic screen of T-ALL cell lines. We subsequently validated WNK1 by loss-of-function-based studies and tested WNK inhibitors in several in vitro and in vivo T-ALL models and clinical T-ALL samples. We showed that therapeutic WNK1 repression promotes polyploidy, resulting in cell proliferation arrest, and morphometric changes, such as incomplete cell division or chromosome segregation through altered mitotic spindle assembly and abscission defects. Furthermore, we found that WNK1 is overexpressed in the TAL1/2-related subgroup, but not in normal thymus or lymph nodes, suggesting a potential translational area for clinical exploitation in poor-prognosis T-ALL carrying PTEN mutations and del(6q). Our work also reports a functional contribution of WNK1 in the leukemia establishment and progression. Structurally WNK1 is an atypical serine/threonine kinase that diverges from canonical kinases by lacking the conserved lysine in subdomain II, instead featuring a cysteine in subdomain I, which is critical for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding. This unusual structural configuration creates a distinct ATP-binding pocket with limited sequence similarity to conventional kinases, offering a unique opportunity to develop highly selective small molecules. Targeting this atypical ATP domain could thus provide a therapeutic advantage and broaden the treatment landscape for T-ALL.

WNK Lysine-Deficient Protein Kinase 1↗
PubMed2002

Secretion of a unique peptide from interleukin-2-stimulated natural killer cells that induces endomitosis in immature human megakaryocytes.

When interleukin-2 (IL-2) was added to immature, low-ploidy (greater than 80% 2N+4N) megakaryocytes generated in IL-3 and stem cell factor (SCF)-containing liquid cultures of blood mononuclear cells highly enriched in hematopoietic progenitors, a 2- to 6-fold increase in the absolute number of polyploid (more than 8N) megakaryocytes was noted. This effect was found to be indirect and was mediated through natural killer (NK) cells that constitute the major lymphoid cell contaminating day 6 megakaryocyte cell populations. IL-2 had no effect on megakaryocytes generated from CD34(+) cells stimulated with IL-3 and SCF. However, medium conditioned by IL-2-stimulated, but not resting, NK cells (NKCM) contained a trypsin-sensitive factor capable of increasing 2- to 5-fold the number of polyploid megakaryocytes generated in vitro from IL-3 and SCF-stimulated CD34(+) cells. The activity in NKCM was dose dependent and could not be neutralized by an excess of antibodies to IL-6, IL-11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), gp130, stromal cell derived factor-1a (SDF-1a), and thrombopoietin (TPO). Addition of IL-11, but not TPO, to NKCM-containing cultures resulted in further augmentation of polyploidy, with the generation of 50% to 70% polyploid megakaryocytes with a modal ploidy of 16N. This factor is distinct from TPO because it induces endomitosis in IL-3-generated megakaryocytes in vitro, whereas TPO does not, and its activity on megakaryocyte ploidy is not altered by optimal concentrations of TPO. In addition, no message for TPO is detectable in IL-2-stimulated NK cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. These findings indicate that IL-2-stimulated NK cells produce a novel peptide, distinct from TPO, IL-6, IL-11, LIF, other gp130-associated interleukins, and SDF1a, that can induce in vitro endomitosis in immature human megakaryocytes in the presence of IL-3 and SCF.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2006

Synteny conservation between the Prunus genome and both the present and ancestral Arabidopsis genomes.

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of availability of large genomic sequences for peach or other Prunus species, the degree of synteny conservation between the Prunus species and Arabidopsis has not been systematically assessed. Using the recently available peach EST sequences that are anchored to Prunus genetic maps and to peach physical map, we analyzed the extent of conserved synteny between the Prunus and the Arabidopsis genomes. The reconstructed pseudo-ancestral Arabidopsis genome, existed prior to the proposed recent polyploidy event, was also utilized in our analysis to further elucidate the evolutionary relationship. RESULTS: We analyzed the synteny conservation between the Prunus and the Arabidopsis genomes by comparing 475 peach ESTs that are anchored to Prunus genetic maps and their Arabidopsis homologs detected by sequence similarity. Microsyntenic regions were detected between all five Arabidopsis chromosomes and seven of the eight linkage groups of the Prunus reference map. An additional 1097 peach ESTs that are anchored to 431 BAC contigs of the peach physical map and their Arabidopsis homologs were also analyzed. Microsyntenic regions were detected in 77 BAC contigs. The syntenic regions from both data sets were short and contained only a couple of conserved gene pairs. The synteny between peach and Arabidopsis was fragmentary; all the Prunus linkage groups containing syntenic regions matched to more than two different Arabidopsis chromosomes, and most BAC contigs with multiple conserved syntenic regions corresponded to multiple Arabidopsis chromosomes. Using the same peach EST datasets and their Arabidopsis homologs, we also detected conserved syntenic regions in the pseudo-ancestral Arabidopsis genome. In many cases, the gene order and content of peach regions was more conserved in the ancestral genome than in the present Arabidopsis region. Statistical significance of each syntenic group was calculated using simulated Arabidopsis genome. CONCLUSION: We report here the result of the first extensive analysis of the conserved microsynteny using DNA sequences across the Prunus genome and their Arabidopsis homologs. Our study also illustrates that both the ancestral and present Arabidopsis genomes can provide a useful resource for marker saturation and candidate gene search, as well as elucidating evolutionary relationships between species.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2004

The roles of segmental and tandem gene duplication in the evolution of large gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BACKGROUND: Most genes in Arabidopsis thaliana are members of gene families. How do the members of gene families arise, and how are gene family copy numbers maintained? Some gene families may evolve primarily through tandem duplication and high rates of birth and death in clusters, and others through infrequent polyploidy or large-scale segmental duplications and subsequent losses. RESULTS: Our approach to understanding the mechanisms of gene family evolution was to construct phylogenies for 50 large gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana, identify large internal segmental duplications in Arabidopsis, map gene duplications onto the segmental duplications, and use this information to identify which nodes in each phylogeny arose due to segmental or tandem duplication. Examples of six gene families exemplifying characteristic modes are described. Distributions of gene family sizes and patterns of duplication by genomic distance are also described in order to characterize patterns of local duplication and copy number for large gene families. Both gene family size and duplication by distance closely follow power-law distributions. CONCLUSIONS: Combining information about genomic segmental duplications, gene family phylogenies, and gene positions provides a method to evaluate contributions of tandem duplication and segmental genome duplication in the generation and maintenance of gene families. These differences appear to correspond meaningfully to differences in functional roles of the members of the gene families.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2004

Interstitial cystitis antiproliferative factor (APF) as a cell-cycle modulator.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder of unknown etiology. Antiproliferative factor (APF), a peptide found in the urine of IC patients, has previously been shown to decrease incorporation of thymidine by normal bladder epithelial cells. This study was performed to determine the effect of APF on the cell cycle of bladder epithelial cells so as to better understand its antiproliferative activity. METHODS: Explant cultures from normal bladder biopsy specimens were exposed to APF or mock control. DNA cytometry was performed using an automated image analysis system. Cell cycle phase fractions were calculated from the DNA frequency distributions and compared by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: APF exposure produced statistically significant increases in the proportion of tetraploid and hypertetraploid cells compared to mock control preparations, suggesting a G2 and/or M phase cell cycle block and the production of polyploidy. CONCLUSIONS: APF has a specific effect on cell cycle distributions. The presence of a peptide with this activity may contribute to the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis through disruption of normal urothelial proliferation and repair processes.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Impaired germ cell development due to compromised cell cycle progression in Skp2-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND: The gonads are responsible for the production of germ cells through both mitosis and meiosis. Skp2 is the receptor subunit of an SCF-type ubiquitin ligase and is a major regulator of the progression of cells into S phase of the cell cycle, which it promotes by mediating the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of p27, an inhibitor of cell proliferation. However, the role of the Skp2-p27 pathway in germ cell development remains elusive. RESULTS: We now show that disruption of Skp2 in mice results in a marked impairment in the fertility of males, with the phenotypes resembling Sertoli cell-only syndrome in men. Testes of Skp2-/- mice manifested pronounced germ cell hypoplasia accompanied by massive apoptosis in spermatogenic cells. Flow cytometry revealed an increased prevalence of polyploidy in spermatozoa, suggesting that the aneuploidy of these cells is responsible for the induction of apoptosis. Disruption of the p27 gene of Skp2-/- mice restored germ cell development, indicating that the testicular hypoplasia of Skp2-/- animals is attributable to the antiproliferative effect of p27 accumulation. CONCLUSION: Our results thus suggest that compromised cell cycle progression caused by the accumulation of p27 results in aneuploidy and the induction of apoptosis in gonadal cells of Skp2-/- mice. The consequent reduction in the number of mature gametes accounts for the decreased fertility of these animals. These findings reinforce the importance of the Skp2-p27 pathway in cell cycle regulation and in germ cell development.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Recombinant insulin-like growth factor-II inhibits the growth-stimulating effect of growth hormone on the liver of Snell dwarf mice.

The actions and interactions of recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I and IGF-II), alone or in combination with human GH on body growth and the growth of several organs were studied in the Snell dwarf mouse. IGF-I and -II stimulate to a similar extent sulfate incorporation into cartilage, and both IGFs increase body length and weight. IGF-II as well as IGF-I have clear effects on the size of the submandibular salivary glands, kidneys, and spleen. IGF-II, however, did not influence the weight of the lung, in contrast with IGF-I. GH treatment alone resulted in growth of the liver, whereas both IGFs were inactive. Surprisingly, IGF-II and, to a lesser extent, IGF-I inhibited GH-induced growth of the liver. Glycogen storage in the liver was decreased by treatment with IGF-II alone or in combination with GH, as shown by histological examination. It was not affected by GH, IGF-I, or GH plus IGF-I. Also, the size of the centrilobular hepatocytes was decreased by treatment with IGF-II and IGF-II plus GH; GH alone had a hypertrophic effect, whereas IGF-I or GH plus IGF-I had none. In contrast to GH, IGFs did not increase polyploidy. Treatment with IGF-II increased the level of IGFBP-3, as did IGF-I or GH treatment, as shown by Western ligand blotting. The IGFs appeared to have a greater effect on the induction of 38.5-kilodalton IGFBP-3 than GH, suggesting a different role in the regulation of glycosylation. In conclusion, IGF-I and IGF-II as well as GH have a stimulatory effect on general body growth and are effective in the stimulation of serum IGFBP-3, sulfate incorporation into cartilage, as well as the growth of specific organs in Snell dwarf mice. Both IGFs, alone or in combination with GH, show distinct effects on the growth of the liver with respect to several histological parameters, which require further exploration.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Drosophila Incenp is required for cytokinesis and asymmetric cell division during development of the nervous system.

The chromosomal passenger protein complex has emerged as a key player in mitosis, with important roles in chromatin modifications, kinetochore-microtubule interactions, chromosome bi-orientation and stability of the bipolar spindle, mitotic checkpoint function, assembly of the central spindle and cytokinesis. The inner centromere protein (Incenp; a subunit of this complex) is thought to regulate the Aurora B kinase and target it to its substrates. To explore the roles of the passenger complex in a developing multicellular organism, we have performed a genetic screen looking for new alleles and interactors of Drosophila Incenp. We have isolated a new null allele of Incenp that has allowed us for the first time to study the functions of the chromosomal passengers during development. Homozygous incenp(EC3747) embryos show absence of phosphorylation of histone H3 in mitosis, failure of cytokinesis and polyploidy, and defects in peripheral nervous system development. These defects are consistent with depletion of Aurora B kinase activity. In addition, the segregation of the cell-fate determinant Prospero in asymmetric neuroblast division is abnormal, suggesting a role for the chromosomal passenger complex in the regulation of this process.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Monastral bipolar spindles: implications for dynamic centrosome organization.

Implicit to all models for mitotic spindle assembly is the view that centrosomes are essentially permanent structures. Yet, immunofluorescence revealed that spindles in larval brains of urchin mutants in Drosophila were frequently monastral but bipolar; the astral pole contained a centrosome while the opposing anastral pole showed neither gamma tubulin nor a radial array of astral microtubules. Thus, mutations in the urchin gene seem to uncouple centrosome organization and spindle bipolarity in mitotic cells. Hypomorphic mutants showed a high frequency of monastral bipolar spindles but low frequencies of polyploidy, suggesting that monastral bipolar spindles might be functional. To test this hypothesis, we performed pedigree analysis of centrosome distribution and spindle structure in the four mitotic divisions of gonial cells. Prophase gonial cells showed two centrosomes, suggesting cells entered mitosis with the normal number of centrosomes and that centrosomes separated during prophase. Despite a high frequency of monastral bipolar spindles, the end products of the four mitotic divisions were equivalent in size and chromatin content. These results indicate that monastral bipolar spindles are functional and that the daughter cell derived from the anastral pole can assemble a functional bipolar spindle in the subsequent cell cycle. Cell proliferation despite high frequencies of monastral bipolar spindles can be explained if centrosome structure in mitotic cells is dynamic, allowing transient and benign disorganization of pericentriolar components. Since urchin proved to be allelic to KLP61F which encodes a kinesin related motor protein (Heck et al. (1993) J. Cell Biol. 123, 665-671), our results suggest that motors influence the dynamic organization of centrosomes.

Alleles↗
PubMed2026

Tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans embryos exhibit enhanced tolerance to osmotic stress.

Polyploidy is a widespread phenomenon in development and evolution and is frequently associated with altered cellular physiology and developmental robustness. However, how genome doubling influences an embryonic robustness to environmental stress remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated developmental traits and osmotic responses in tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Tetraploid animals exhibited increased body and tissue sizes and produced larger embryos than diploids, accompanied by moderately delayed development and partial embryonic arrest. When exposed to a range of osmotic environments, both diploid and tetraploid embryos swelled or shrank in response to external osmolarity. Strikingly, tetraploid embryos at the early stage maintained normal cell division across a broader range of osmotic conditions than diploids. Quantitative analyses further revealed that tetraploid embryos exhibited reduced cytoplasmic mass density, primarily reflecting lower protein concentration, while lipid and RNA levels remain unaffected. These compositional differences likely buffer cellular size fluctuations and underlie the enhanced osmotic tolerance of tetraploid embryos. Together, our findings demonstrate that genome doubling reshapes embryonic cellular physiology in a non-proportional manner to ploidy, thereby enhancing robustness during early development.

Animals↗