Brefeldin A impairs porcine oocyte meiotic maturation via interruption of organelle dynamics

Brefeldin A (BFA) is a lactone antibiotic synthesized from palmitic acid by several fungi that could block anterograde transport of proteins from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi apparatus by reversible disruption of the Golgi complex. Previous investigations have shown that BFA induces the apoptosis of cancer cells in mitosis and impairs asymmetric spindle positioning in meiosis. Here, we document that exposure to BFA in porcine oocytes compromises the meiotic maturation via disrupting both nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. We found that BFA exposure collapsed the cytoskeleton assembly by showing the aberrant spindle organization with misaligned chromosomes and defective actin dynamics. Furthermore, the distribution of both mitochondria and cortical granules (CGs), two important indexes of cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes, was disturbed following BFA exposure. We finally validated that the localization of ovastacin, a component of CGs that is essential for the postfertilization removal of sperm-binding sites in the zona pellucida, was also perturbed in BFA-exposed oocytes, which might weaken their fertilization capacity. Collectively, these findings indicate that Golgi-mediated protein transport is indispensable for the porcine oocyte meiotic maturation.     

Microtubules in ascidian eggs during meiosis, fertilization, and mitosis

The sequential changes in the distribution of microtubules during germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), fertilization, and mitosis were investigated with antitubulin indirect immunofluorescence microscopy in several species of ascidian eggs (Molgula occidentalis, Ciona savignyi, and Halocynthia roretzi). These alterations in microtubule patterns were also correlated with observed cytoplasmic movements. A cytoplasmic latticework of microtubules was observed throughout meiosis. The unfertilized egg of M. occidentalis had a small meiotic spindle with wide poles; the poles became focused after egg activation. The other two species had more typical meiotic spindles before fertilization. At fertilization, a sperm aster first appeared near the cortex close to the vegetal pole. It enlarged into an unusual asymmetric aster associated with the egg cortex. The sperm aster rapidly grew after the formation of the second polar body, and it was displaced as far as the equatorial region, corresponding to the site of the myoplasmic crescent, the posterior half of the egg. The female pronucleus migrated to the male pronucleus at the center of the sperm aster. The microtubule latticework and the sperm aster disappeared towards the end of first interphase with only a small bipolar structure remaining until first mitosis. At mitosis the asters enlarged tremendously, while the mitotic spindle remained remarkably small. The two daughter nuclei remained near the site of cleavage even after division was complete. These results document the changes in microtubule patterns during maturation in Ascidian oocytes, demonstrate that the sperm contributes the active centrosome at fertilization, and reveal the presence of a mitotic apparatus at first division which has an unusually small spindle and huge asters.     

Polo-like kinase-1 in porcine oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization and early embryonic mitosis.

Polo-like kinases (Plks) are a family of serine/threonine protein kinases that regulate multiple stages of mitosis. Expression and distribution of polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) were characterized during porcine oocyte maturation, fertilization and early embryo development in vitro, as well as after microtubule polymerization modulation. The quantity of Plk1 protein remained stable during meiotic maturation. Plk1 accumulated in the germinal vesicles (GV) in GV stage oocytes. After germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), Plk1 was localized to the spindle poles at metaphase I (MI) stage, and then translocated to the middle region of the spindle at anaphase-telophase I. Plk1 was also localized in MII spindle poles and on the spindle fibers and on the middle region of anaphase-telophase II spindles. Plk1 was not found in the spindle region when colchicine was used to inhibit microtubule organization, while it accumulated as several dots in the cytoplasm after taxol treatment. After fertilization, Plk1 concentrated around the female and male pronuclei. During early embryo development, Plk1 was found to be in association with the mitotic spindle at metaphase, but distributed diffusely in the cytoplasm at interphase. Our results suggest that Plk1 is a pivotal regulator of microtubule organization and cytokinesis during porcine oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization, and early embryo cleavage in pig oocytes.     

NuMA expression and function in mouse oocytes and early embryos

Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA), originally described as a nuclear protein, is an essential component in the formation and maintenance of mitotic spindle poles. In this study, we analyze the expression pattern and function of NuMA in mouse oocytes and early embryos. In germinal vesicle-stage occytes, NuMA was detected both at the centrosome and in the nucleus. However, after nuclear maturation and extrusion of the first polar body, NuMA was concentrated at the broad meiotic spindle poles and at cytasters (centers of cytoplasmic microtubule asters) of mature metaphase II oocytes. Cold-induced depolymerization of microtubules appeared to disassociate NuMA foci from the cytoplasmic cytasters. During fertilization, NuMA was relocated into the reformed male and female pronuclei. Microinjection of anti-NuMA antibody into 1 of 2 cells of 2-cell-stage embryos inhibited normal cell division. These results suggest that NuMA might play an important role in cell division during early embryonic mitosis.     

Microtubules are required for centrosome expansion and positioning while microfilaments are required for centrosome separation in sea urchin eggs during fertilization and mitosis

Centrosomes undergo cell cycle-dependent changes in shape and separations, changes that govern the organization of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is largely organized by the centrosome; however, this investigation explores the importance of cytoskeletal elements in directing centrosome shape. Since the sea urchin egg during fertilization and mitosis displays dramatic and synchronous changes in centrosome shape, the effects of cytoskeletal inhibitors on centrosome compaction, expansion, and separation were explored by the use of anticentrosome immunofluorescence microscopy. Centrosome expansion and separation was studied during two phases: the transition after sperm incorporation, when the compact sperm centrosome enlarges and the sperm aster develops, and from prometaphase to telophase, when the compact spindle poles enlarge. Compaction was investigated when the dispersed centrosome at interphase condenses into the two spindle poles at prometaphase. Although centrosome expansion and separation typically occur concurrently, beta-mercaptoethanol results in centrosome separation independent of expansion. Microtubule inhibitors prevent centrosome expansion and separation, and expanded centrosomes collapse. Since pronuclear union is arrested by microtubule inhibitors, this treatment also affords the opportunity to explore the relative attractiveness of the male and female pronuclei for these centrosomal antigens. Both pronuclei acquire centrosomal material; though only the male centrosome is capable of organizing a functional bipolar mitotic apparatus at first division, the female centrosome nucleates a monaster. Microfilament inhibition (cytochalasin D) prevents centrosome separation but not expansion or compaction. These results demonstrate that as the centrosome shapes the cytoskeleton, the cytoskeleton alters centrosome shape.     

Astrin regulates meiotic spindle organization,spindle pole tethering and cell cycle progression in mouse oocytes

Astrin has been described as a microtubule and kinetochore protein required for the maintenance of sister chromatid cohesion and centrosome integrity in human mitosis. However, its role in mammalian oocyte meiosis is unclear. In this study, we find that Astrin is mainly associated with the meiotic spindle microtubules and concentrated on spindle poles at metaphase I and metaphase II stages. Taxol treatment and immunoprecipitation show that Astrin may interact with the centrosomal proteins Aurora-A or Plk1 to regulate microtubule organization and spindle pole integrity. Loss-of-function of Astrin by RNAi and overexpression of Tof the coiled-coil domain results in spindle disorganization, chromosome misalignment and meiosis progression arrestT. Thr24, Ser66 or Ser447 may be the potential phosphorylated sites of Astrin by Plk1, as site-directed mutation of these sites causes oocyte meiotic arrest at HTmetaphaseTH I with highly disordered spindles and disorganized chromosomes, although mutant Astrin localizes to the spindle apparatus. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that Astrin is critical for meiotic spindle assembly and maturation in mouse oocytes.     

Cell-cycle-dependent subcellular localization of cyclin B1, phosphorylated cyclin B1 and p34cdc2 during oocyte meiotic maturation and fertilization in mouse

M phase or maturation promoting factor (MPF), a kinase complex composed of the regulatory cyclin B and the catalytic p34cdc2 kinase, plays important roles in meiosis and mitosis. This study was designed to detect and compare the subcellular localization of cyclin B1, phosphorylated cyclin B1 and p34cdc2 during oocyte meiotic maturation and fertilization in mouse. We found that all these proteins were concentrated in the germinal vesicle of oocytes. Shortly after germinal vesicle breakdown, all these proteins were accumulated around the condensed chromosomes. With spindle formation at metaphase I, cyclin B1 and phosphorylated cyclin B1 were localized around the condensed chromosomes and concentrated at the spindle poles, while p34cdc2 was localized in the spindle region. At the anaphase/telophase transition, phosphorylated cyclin B1 was accumulated in the midbody between the separating chromosomes/chromatids, while p34cdc2 was accumulated in the entire spindle except for the midbody region. At metaphase II, both cyclin B1 and p34cdc2 were horizontally localized in the region with the aligned chromosomes and the two poles of the spindle, while phosphorylated cyclin B1 was localized in the two poles of spindle and the chromosomes. We could not detect a particular distribution of cyclin B1 in fertilized eggs when the pronuclei were initially formed, but in late pronuclei cyclin B1 was accumulated in the pronuclei. p34cdc2 and phosphorylated cyclin B1 were always concentrated in one pronucleus after parthenogenetic activation or in two pronuclei after fertilization. At metaphase of 1-cell embryos, cyclin B1 was accumulated around the condensed chromosomes. Cyclin B1 was accumulated in the nucleus of late 2-cell embryos but not in early 2-cell embryos. Furthermore, we also detected the accumulation of p34cdc2 in the nucleus of 2- and 4-cell embryos. All these results show that cyclin B1, phosphorylated cyclin B1 and p34cdc2 have similar distributions at some stages but different localizations at other stages during oocyte meiotic maturation and fertilization, suggesting that they may play a common role in some events but different roles in other events during oocyte maturation and fertilization.     

Characterization of aurora-a in porcine oocytes and early embryos implies its functional roles in the regulation of meiotic maturation, fertilization and cleavage

Aurora-A is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays important regulatory roles during mitotic cell cycle progression. In this study, Aurora-A expression, subcellular localization, and possible functions during porcine oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization and early embryonic cleavage were studied by using Western blot, confocal microscopy and drug treatments. The quantity of Aurora-A protein remained stable during porcine oocyte meiotic maturation. Confocal microscopy revealed that Aurora-A distributed abundantly in the nucleus at the germinal vesicle stage. After germinal vesicle breakdown, Aurora-A concentrated around the condensed chromosomes and the metaphase I spindle, and finally, Aurora-A was associated with spindle poles during the formation of the metaphase II spindle. Aurora-A concentrated in the pronuclei in fertilized eggs. Aurora-A was not found in the spindle region when colchicine or staurosporine was used to inhibit microtubule organization, while it accumulated as several dots in the cytoplasm after taxol treatment. In conclusion, Aurora-A may be a multifunctional kinase that plays pivotal regulatory roles in microtubule assembly during porcine oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization and early embryonic mitosis.     

The Golgi protein GM130 regulates centrosome morphology and function

The Golgi apparatus (GA) of mammalian cells is positioned in the vicinity of the centrosome, the major microtubule organizing center of the cell. The significance of this physical proximity for organelle function and cell cycle progression is only beginning to being understood. We have identified a novel function for the GA protein, GM130, in the regulation of centrosome morphology, position and function during interphase. RNA interference-mediated depletion of GM130 from five human cell lines revealed abnormal interphase centrosomes that were mispositioned and defective with respect to microtubule organization and cell migration. When GM130-depleted cells entered mitosis, they formed multipolar spindles, arrested in metaphase, and died. We also detected aberrant centrosomes during interphase and multipolar spindles during mitosis in ldlG cells, which do not contain detectable GM130. Although GA proteins have been described to regulate mitotic centrosomes and spindle formation, this is the first report of a role for a GA protein in the regulation of centrosomes during interphase.     

Coordination of golgin tethering and SNARE assembly: GM130 binds syntaxin 5 in a p115-regulated manner

During membrane traffic, transport carriers are first tethered to the target membrane prior to undergoing fusion. Mechanisms exist to connect tethering with fusion, but in most cases, the details remain poorly understood. GM130 is a member of the golgin family of coiled-coil proteins tat is involved in membrane tethering at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi. Here, we demonstrate that GM130 interacts with syntaxin 5, a t-SNARE also localized to the early secretory pathway. Binding to syntaxin 5 is specific, direct, and mediated by the membrane-proximal region of GM130. Interestingly, interaction with syntaxin 5 is inhibited by the binding of the vesicle docking protein p115 to a distal binding site in GM130. The interaction between GM130 and the small GTPase Rab1 is also inhibited by p115 binding. Our findings suggest a mechanism for coupling membrane tethering and fusion at the ER to Golgi intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi, with GM130 playing a central role in linking these processes. Consistent with this hypothesis, we find that depletion of GM130 by RNA interference slows the rate of ER to Golgi trafficking in vivo. The interactions of GM130 with syntaxin 5 and Rab1 are also regulated by mitotic phosphorylation, which is likely to contribute to the inhibition of ER to Golgi trafficking that occurs when mammalian cells enter mitosis.     

γ-微管蛋白在猪卵母细胞成熟和活化中的分布

微管蛋白(tubulin)是一蛋白质超家族,其中α-,β-微管蛋白是主要的微管蛋白,而γ-微管蛋白主要在微管组装中起作用. 我们利用蛋白质印迹和激光共聚焦技术研究了γ-微管蛋白在猪卵母细胞成熟、受精和活化中的分布. γ-微管蛋白存在于猪卵母细胞中,并且在减数分裂成熟各个时期的量保持不变. 它聚集在微管上,特别是中期纺锤体的两极和后末期的中板. 体外受精和孤雌活化后,γ-微管蛋白聚集在雌雄原核的周围.另外它也存在于精子的顶体帽和颈部.在早期卵裂中,γ-微管蛋白聚集在胚胎的细胞核周围.实验结果表明,γ-微管蛋白在猪卵母细胞、精子和胚胎的微管组装中起重要的调节作用,在猪受精过程中,精子和卵子都向受精卵贡献中心体物质.     

Characterization of Polo-like kinase-1 in rat oocytes and early embryos implies its functional roles in the regulation of meiotic maturation,fertilization, and cleavage

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a family of serine/threonine protein kinases that play important regulatory roles during mitotic cell cycle progression. In this study, Plk1 expression, subcellular localization, and possible functions during rat oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization, and embryonic cleavages were studied by using RT-PCR, Western blot, confocal microscopy, drug-treatments, and antibody microinjection. Both the mRNA and protein of this kinase were detected in rat maturing oocytes and developing embryos. Confocal microscopy revealed that Plk1 distributed abundantly in the nucleus at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, was associated with spindle poles during the formation of M-phase spindle, and was translocated to the spindle mid-zone at anaphase. In fertilized eggs, Plk1 was strongly stained in the cytoplasm between the apposing male and female pronuclei, from where microtubules radiated. Throughout cytokinesis, Plk1 was localized to the division plane, both during oocyte meiosis and embryonic mitosis. The specific subcellular distribution of Plk1 was distorted after disrupting the M-phase spindle, while additional aggregation dots could be induced in the cytoplasm by taxol, suggesting its intimate association with active microtubule assembly. Plk1 antibody microinjection delayed the meiotic resumption and blocked the emission of polar bodies. In conclusion, Plk1 may be a multifunctional kinase that plays pivotal regulatory roles in microtubule assembly during rat oocyte meiotic maturation, fertilization, and early embryonic mitosis.     

Kinesin-1 prevents capture of the oocyte meiotic spindle by the sperm aster

Centrioles are lost during oogenesis and inherited from the sperm at fertilization. In the zygote, the centrioles recruit pericentriolar proteins from the egg to form a mature centrosome that nucleates a sperm aster. The sperm aster then captures the female pronucleus to join the maternal and paternal genomes. Because fertilization occurs before completion of female meiosis, some mechanism must prevent capture of the meiotic spindle by the sperm aster. Here we show that in wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans zygotes, maternal pericentriolar proteins are not recruited to the sperm centrioles until after completion of meiosis. Depletion of kinesin-1 heavy chain or its binding partner resulted in premature centrosome maturation during meiosis and growth of a sperm aster that could capture the oocyte meiotic spindle. Kinesin prevents recruitment of pericentriolar proteins by coating the sperm DNA and centrioles and thus prevents triploidy by a nonmotor mechanism.     

Microtubule distribution during fertilization in the rabbit.

The distribution of microtubules was studied during fertilization of the rabbit oocyte by immunofluorescence microscopy after staining with an anti-alpha-tubulin antibody. In ovulated oocytes, microtubules were found exclusively in the meiotic spindle. At fertilization, the paternal centrosome generated sperm astral microtubules. During pronuclear development, the sperm aster increased in size, and microtubules extended from the male pronucleus to the egg center and towards the female pronucleus. These observations indicate that microtubules emanating from the sperm centrosome were involved in the movements leading to the union of the male and female pronuclei. At late pronuclear stage, microtubules surrounded the adjacent pronuclei. The mitotic spindle that emerged from the perinuclear microtubules contained broad anastral poles.     

Microtubule nucleation at the cis‐side of the Golgi apparatus requires AKAP450 and GM130

We report that microtubule (MT) nucleation at the Golgi apparatus requires AKAP450, a centrosomal γ‐TuRC‐interacting protein that also forms a distinct network associated with the Golgi. Depletion of AKAP450 abolished MT nucleation at the Golgi, whereas depletion of the cis‐Golgi protein GM130 led to the disorganisation of AKAP450 network and impairment of MT nucleation. Brefeldin‐A treatment induced relocalisation of AKAP450 to ER exit sites and concomitant redistribution of MT nucleation capacity to the ER. AKAP450 specifically binds the cis‐side of the Golgi in an MT‐independent, GM130‐dependent manner. Short AKAP450‐dependent growing MTs are covered by CLASP2. Like for centrosome, dynein/dynactin complexes are necessary to anchor MTs growing from the Golgi. We further show that Golgi‐associated AKAP450 has a role in cell migration rather than in cell polarisation of the centrosome–Golgi apparatus. We propose that the recruitment of AKAP450 on the Golgi membranes through GM130 allows centrosome‐associated nucleating activity to extend to the Golgi, to control the assembly of subsets of MTs ensuring specific functions within the Golgi or for transporting specific cargos to the cell periphery.     

The localization and phosphorylation of p47 are important for Golgi disassembly-assembly during the cell cycle

In mammalian cells, the Golgi apparatus is disassembled at the onset of mitosis and reassembled at the end of mitosis. This disassembly-reassembly is generally believed to be essential for the equal partitioning of Golgi into two daughter cells. For Golgi disassembly, membrane fusion, which is mediated by NSF and p97, needs to be blocked. For the NSF pathway, the tethering of p115-GM130 is disrupted by the mitotic phosphorylation of GM130, resulting in the inhibition of NSF-mediated fusion. In contrast, the p97/p47 pathway does not require p115-GM130 tethering, and its mitotic inhibitory mechanism has been unclear. Now, we have found that p47, which mainly localizes to the nucleus during interphase, is phosphorylated on Serine-140 by Cdc2 at mitosis. The phosphorylated p47 does not bind to Golgi membranes. An in vitro assay shows that this phosphorylation is required for Golgi disassembly. Microinjection of p47(S140A), which is unable to be phosphorylated, allows the cell to keep Golgi stacks during mitosis and has no effect on the equal partitioning of Golgi into two daughter cells, suggesting that Golgi fragmentation-dispersion may not be obligatory for equal partitioning even in mammalian cells.     

Spindle formation and dynamics of gamma-tubulin and nuclear mitotic apparatus protein distribution during meiosis in pig and mouse oocytes

This work focuses on the assembly and transformation of the spindle during the progression through the meiotic cell cycle. For this purpose, immunofluorescent confocal microscopy was used in comparative studies to determine the spatial distribution of alpha- and gamma-tubulin and nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) from late G2 to the end of M phase in both meiosis and mitosis. In pig endothelial cells, consistent with previous reports, gamma-tubulin was localized at the centrosomes in both interphase and M phase, and NuMA was localized in the interphase nucleus and at mitotic spindle poles. During meiotic progression in pig oocytes, gamma-tubulin and NuMA were initially detected in a uniform distribution across the nucleus. In early diakinesis and just before germinal vesicle breakdown, microtubules were first detected around the periphery of the germinal vesicle and cell cortex. At late diakinesis, a mass of multi-arrayed microtubules was formed around chromosomes. In parallel, NuMA localization changed from an amorphous to a highly aggregated form in the vicinity of the chromosomes, but gamma-tubulin localization remained in an amorphous form surrounding the chromosomes. Then the NuMA foci moved away from the condensed chromosomes and aligned at both poles of a barrel-shaped metaphase I spindle while gamma-tubulin was localized along the spindle microtubules, suggesting that pig meiotic spindle poles are formed by the bundling of microtubules at the minus ends by NuMA. Interestingly, in mouse oocytes, the meiotic spindle pole was composed of several gamma-tubulin foci rather than NuMA. Further, nocodazole, an inhibitor of microtubule polymerization, induced disappearance of the pole staining of NuMA in pig metaphase II oocytes, whereas the mouse meiotic spindle pole has been reported to be resistant to the treatment. These results suggest that the nature of the meiotic spindle differs between species. The axis of the pig meiotic spindle rotated from a perpendicular to a parallel position relative to the cell surface during telophase I. Further, in contrast to the stable localization of NuMA and gamma-tubulin at the spindle poles in mitosis, NuMA and gamma-tubulin became relocalized to the spindle midzone during anaphase I and telophase I in pig oocytes. We postulate that in the centrosome-free meiotic spindle, NuMA aggregates the spindle microtubules at the midzone during anaphase and telophase and that the polarity of meiotic spindle microtubules might become inverted during spindle elongation.     

Golgi membranes are absorbed into and reemerge from the ER during mitosis

Quantitative imaging and photobleaching were used to measure ER/Golgi recycling of GFP-tagged Golgi proteins in interphase cells and to monitor the dissolution and reformation of the Golgi during mitosis. In interphase, recycling occurred every 1.5 hr, and blocking ER egress trapped cycling Golgi enzymes in the ER with loss of Golgi structure. In mitosis, when ER export stops, Golgi proteins redistributed into the ER as shown by quantitative imaging in vivo and immuno-EM. Comparison of the mobilities of Golgi proteins and lipids ruled out the persistence of a separate mitotic Golgi vesicle population and supported the idea that all Golgi components are absorbed into the ER. Moreover, reassembly of the Golgi complex after mitosis failed to occur when ER export was blocked. These results demonstrate that in mitosis the Golgi disperses and reforms through the intermediary of the ER, exploiting constitutive recycling pathways. They thus define a novel paradigm for Golgi genesis and inheritance.     

The Golgi protein p115 associates with gamma-tubulin and plays a role in Golgi structure and mitosis progression

The Golgi apparatus is a network of polarized cisternae localized to the perinuclear region in mammalian cells. It undergoes extensive vesiculation at the onset of mitosis and its reassembly requires factors that are in part segregated via the mitotic spindle. Here we show that unlike typical Golgi markers, the Golgi-protein p115 partitioned with the spindle poles throughout mitosis. An armadillo-fold in its N terminus mediated a novel interaction between p115 and γ-tubulin and functioned in its centrosomal targeting. Both the N- and C-terminal regions of p115 were required to maintain Golgi structure. Strikingly, p115 was essential for mitotic spindle function and the resolution of the cytokinetic bridge because its depletion resulted in spindle collapse, chromosome missegregation, and failed cytokinesis. We demonstrate that p115 plays a critical role in mitosis progression, implicating it as the only known golgin to regulate both mitosis and apoptosis.