An electron microscopic study of meiosis and the spindle pole body cycle in the smut fungus Sphacelotheca polygoni-serrulati

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bauer ◽  
Mary L. Berbee ◽  
Franz Oberwinkler

An electron microscopic study was made of meiosis and the meiotic spindle pole body (SPB) cycle in germinating teliospores of the smut fungus Sphacelotheca polygoni-serrulati. SPB development in prophase I and duplication in interphase I were studied in detail. During prophase, the globular elements of the biglobular SPB enlarged, became oblate in form, developed internal layering, and became associated with astral microtubules. The middle piece decreased in size and finally disappeared. Prior to metaphase I, the two oblate elements moved apart along the intact surface of the nuclear envelope, and the nuclear membrane bulged into the space between the two SPBs. Metaphase I – early telophase I and metaphase II – early telophase II SPBs were intranuclear, oblate spheroidal in shape, and traversed by an electron-dense disc. In interphase I, an electron-dense bar appeared in association with the nuclear side of the original SPB. The bar initially overlapped one edge of the electron-dense disc and later appeared at the side of the disc. The bar became one of the metaphase II SPBs. Similarities and differences between meiosis and SPBs in Sphacelotheca polygoni-serrulati, Ustilago maydis, Ustilago esculenta, Tilletia foetida, and other heterobasidiomycetes are discussed. Key words: heterobasidiomycetes, Ustilaginales, Sphacelotheca, meiosis, spindle pole body, ultrastructure.

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1795-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary L. Berbee ◽  
Robert Bauer ◽  
F. Oberwinkler

Freeze-substituted basidia of the smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum (Ustilaginales, Basidiomycotina) were examined electron microscopically with particular attention to the meiotic spindle pole body cycle and cytoplasmic characters of phylogenetic significance. Prophase basidia contained a subapical cluster of vesicles and tubules. During prophase, the spindle pole body consisted of two globular elements connected by a middle piece. The spindle pole body had an electron-opaque layer near the nucleus, and each globular element was bisected by an electron-opaque disk. The meiosis I spindle extended between two monoglobular, disc-containing spindle pole bodies. During interphase I and II, septa lacking pores divided the basidium between daughter nuclei. In interphase I, a putative new spindle pole body appeared between the nuclear envelope and the monoglobular spindle pole body residual from the first division. In meiosis II, a spindle was again established between two monoglobular spindle pole bodies, each of which again contained an electron-opaque disc. The cytoplasmic characters of M. violaceum are compared with those of Ustilago maydis and Sphacelotheca polygoni-serrulati. Key words: Microbotryum violaceum, basidiomycete, Ustilaginales, spindle pole body, freeze-substitution, ultrastructure.


1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry O'Donnell

Meiosis in the smut fungi Ustilago maydis and Ustilago avenae (Basidiomycota, Ustilaginales) was studied by electron microscopy of serial-sectioned freeze substituted basidia. At prophase I, a spindle pole body composed of two globular elements connected by a middle piece was attached to the extranuclear surface of each nucleus. Astral and spindle microtubules were initiated at each globular element at late prophase I to prometaphase I. During spindle initiation, the middle piece disappeared and interdigitating half-spindles entered the nucleoplasm, which was surrounded by discontinuous nuclear envelope together with perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum. Kinetochore pairs at metaphase I were analyzed to obtain a karyotype for each species. The meiotic spindle pole body replicational cycle is described. Key words: electron microscopy, freeze-substitution, meiosis, Ustilago, spindle pole body.


2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Jin ◽  
Joel J. Mancuso ◽  
Satoru Uzawa ◽  
Daniela Cronembold ◽  
W. Zacheus Cande

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 439
Author(s):  
Ye Jin ◽  
Joel J. Mancuso ◽  
Satoru Uzawa ◽  
Daniela Cronembold ◽  
W. Zacheus Cande

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1221-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair J. Goates ◽  
James A. Hoffmann

Fusion of double-structured, interphase spindle pole bodies (SPBs) occurred before nuclear fusion in heterokaryotic secondary sporidia. The SPBs of two separate nuclei were juxtaposed with their long axes perpendicular to each other. Also, SPBs were observed oriented with their long axes parallel and fused to each other at both ends. Fusion apparently continued toward the midportion of the SPBs. Nuclei were observed joined together in a narrow region. These nuclei appeared to share a single SPB that was located opposite to a protuberance on both nuclei. Following fusion, the SPB apparently returned to an interphase structure.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 3525-3537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Straight ◽  
Thomas H. Giddings ◽  
Mark Winey

Sporulation in yeast requires that a modified form of chromosome segregation be coupled to the development of a specialized cell type, a process akin to gametogenesis. Mps1p is a dual-specificity protein kinase essential for spindle pole body (SPB) duplication and required for the spindle assembly checkpoint in mitotically dividing cells. Four conditional mutant alleles of MPS1disrupt sporulation, producing two distinct phenotypic classes. Class I alleles of mps1 prevent SPB duplication at the restrictive temperature without affecting premeiotic DNA synthesis and recombination. Class II MPS1 alleles progress through both meiotic divisions in 30–50% of the population, but the asci are incapable of forming mature spores. Although mutations in many other genes block spore wall formation, the cells produce viable haploid progeny, whereas mps1 class II spores are unable to germinate. We have used fluorescently marked chromosomes to demonstrate that mps1 mutant cells have a dramatically increased frequency of chromosome missegregation, suggesting that loss of viability is due to a defect in spindle function. Overall, our cytological data suggest that MPS1 is required for meiotic SPB duplication, chromosome segregation, and spore wall formation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Nickas ◽  
Cindi Schwartz ◽  
Aaron M. Neiman

ABSTRACT Spore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs via the de novo synthesis of the prospore membrane during the second meiotic division. Prospore membrane formation is triggered by assembly of a membrane-organizing center, the meiotic outer plaque (MOP), on the cytoplasmic face of the spindle pole body (SPB) during meiosis. We report here the identification of two new components of the MOP, Ady4p and Spo74p. Ady4p and Spo74p interact with known proteins of the MOP and are localized to the outer plaque of the SPB during meiosis II. MOP assembly and prospore membrane formation are abolished in spo74Δ/spo74Δ cells and occur aberrantly in ady4Δ/ady4Δ cells. Spo74p and the MOP component Mpc70p are mutually dependent for recruitment to SPBs during meiosis. In contrast, both Ady4p and Spo74p are present at SPBs, albeit at reduced levels, in cells that lack the MOP component Mpc54p. Our findings suggest a model for the assembled MOP in which Mpc54p, Mpc70p, and Spo74p make up a core structural unit of the scaffold that initiates synthesis of the prospore membrane, and Ady4p is an auxiliary component that stabilizes the plaque.


1978 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 1206-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Nakai ◽  
R. Ushiyama

In the course of electron microscopic observations on basidiosporogenesis of Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing., the cytoplasmic microtubules, which are about 24 nm in diameter and associate closely with the postmeiotic nuclei, were observed to be common during movement of nuclei from a basidium into the respective basidiospores through sterigmata. These microtubules orient striately from the spindle-pole body (SPB), situated at the leading portion of a migrating nucleus, into the cytoplasm of a nearly mature basidiospore and appear to precede the migrating nucleus. The association of microtubules radiating from the SPB with the interior of a migrating nucleus was particularly indicated as being a characteristic event observed during nuclear movement of L. edodes. After completion of nuclear movement, these microtubules disappear completely. It is suggested that the microtubules associated with SPB may play an essential role in nuclear movement from the basidium to the basidiospore.


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