Microtubule Organization in Dictyostelium

Ralph Gräf, University of Potsdam, Potsadm‐Golm, Germany

Published online: December 2009

DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0021852

Dictyostelium amoebae contain a radial array of microtubules emanating from a single microtubule-organizing centre called centrosome that is bound to the cytosolic face of the nucleus. Their centrosome contains no centrioles but consists of a layered core surrounded by a corona harbouring microtubule nucleation centres. It duplicates in prophase of a closed mitosis and organizes a central spindle that drives centrosome separation and chromosome segregation. Though Dictyostelium microtubules are quite dynamic during mitosis, their length appears to be very stable during interphase. Microtubules are associated with a couple of conserved proteins (microtubule-associated protein, MAPs), which are involved in centrosome biogenesis and the crosstalk of microtubule tips with the actin cell cortex. The latter becomes evident in cytokinesis, when centrosomes with their attached microtubules participate in the positioning of cleavage furrows.

Key concepts:

  • Dictyostelium amoebae contain a nucleus-associated centrosome that serves as the only microtubule-organizing centre.
  • The Dictyostelium centrosome contains no centrioles, but consists of a three-layered core structure surrounded by a microtubule-nucleating corona.
  • If compared to the three major plaques of the yeast spindle pole body, the entire core structure of the Dictyostelium centrosome appears equivalent to the central plaque, whereas the corona plays a similar role as the inner and outer plaques.
  • Dictyostelium centrosomes duplicate at the onset of mitosis.
  • Dictyostelium amoebae show a closed-type of mitosis with a persisting nuclear envelope.
  • Dictyostelium microtubules are quite dynamic during mitosis but show only little growth and shrinkage during interphase.
  • Microtubule plus ends influence actin dynamics at the cell cortex.
  • Dictyostelium amoebae are a useful model to study the role of the centrosome and microtubules in cell dynamics and disease.

Keywords: Dictyostelium; centrosome; MAP; microtubules; mitosis

Figure 1. The Dictyostelium centrosome cycle. Nuclei, chromosomes and centrosomes with attached mictrotubules are shown in schematic cross sections of different cell cycle stages, except for prometaphase where a view to the nuclear surface is depicted. In the schematic drawings, the centrosome is depicted with its main structural parts. These are the layered core structure with three major layers, whereby the two outer layers are identical and different from the central one, and the surrounding corona characterized by the microtubule-organizing nodules. The corresponding immunofluorescence microscopy images show staining of the centrosomes with anti-DdCP224 (red), the nuclear envelope and the centrosome/nucleus linkage with anti-Sun1 (green and DNA with DAPI (blue)). Modified from Gräf et al. (2004). With permission from Elsevier. The detailed process is described in the text.
Figure 2. Live cell imaging of cells expressing GFP--tubulin reveals decomposition of the microtubule system in prophase (150 s) and regrowth of a radial microtubule array in telophase (1080 s). Selected time points of a movie starting at the G2/M transition are shown. Cells were viewed under agar overlay. Each image represents a brightest point z-projection of five confocal slices with a distance of 1.6 m each (Zeiss LSM510, 512×512 pixel, 1.4/63× lens, pinhole 2 AU, frame rate 2 fr s–1, time lapse 10 s).
Figure 3. Live cell imaging of cell expressing GFP-EB1 reveals microtubule interactions with the cell cortex and positioning of cleavage furrows with respect to microtubule arrays. The sequence shows late mitosis of a cell with two supernumerary centrosomes, which are not associated with a central spindle and are involved in the formation of a cytoplast during cytokinesis. Selected time points of a movie shown. Cells were viewed under agar overlay. Each image represents a brightest point z-projection of five confocal slices with a distance of 1 m each (Perkin Elmer Ultraview, 1.3/100×, 12-bit CCD at 2×2 binning, frame rate 1.4 fr s–1, time lapse 10 s).
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Related Sub-Topics:

Cell Cytoskeleton | Cell Cycle | Chromosome Segregation | Protein Structure | Composition and Structure of Microbial Cells | Protozoa
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Article Title: Microtubule Organization in Dictyostelium
 
How to Cite close
Gräf, Ralph(Dec 2009) Microtubule Organization in Dictyostelium. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0021852]