Actomyosin contractility regulators stabilize the cytoplasmic bridge between the two primordial germ cells during Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis

Stable cytoplasmic bridges arise from failed cytokinesis, the last step of cell division, and are a key feature of syncytial architectures in the germline of most metazoans. Whereas the Caenorhabditis elegans germline is syncytial, its formation remains poorly understood. We found that the germline precursor blastomere, P4, fails cytokinesis, leaving a stable cytoplasmic bridge between the two daughter cells, Z2 and Z3. Depletion of several regulators of actomyosin contractility resulted in a regression of the membrane partition between Z2 and Z3, indicating that they are required to stabilize the cytoplasmic bridge. Epistatic analysis revealed a pathway in which Rho regulators promote accumulation of the noncannonical anillin ANI-2 at the stable cytoplasmic bridge, which in turns promotes the accumulation of the nonmuscle myosin II NMY-2 and the midbody component CYK-7 at the bridge, in part by limiting the accumulation of canonical anillin ANI-1. Our results uncover key steps in C. elegans germline formation and define a set of conserved regulators that are enriched at the primordial germ cell cytoplasmic bridge to ensure its stability during embryonic development.

Anillin proteins stabilize the cytoplasmic bridge between the two primordial germ cells during C. elegans embryogenesis

ABSTRACTStable cytoplasmic bridges arise from failed cytokinesis, the last step of cell division, and are a key feature of syncytial architectures in the germ line of most metazoans. Whereas the C. elegans germ line is syncytial, its formation remains poorly understood. We studied the role of ANI-2, a noncanonical and shorter form of the actomyosin scaffold protein anillin that is expressed specifically during embryogenesis in the germ line precursor blastomere, P4. We found that the P4 blastomere does not complete abscission following cytokinesis, leaving a stable cytoplasmic bridge between the two daughter cells. Interestingly, depletion of ANI-2 results in a regression of the membrane partition between the two cells, indicating that ANI-2 is required to stabilize the cytoplasmic bridge. We identified several contractility regulators that, like ANI-2, localize to the cytoplasmic bridge and are required to stabilize it. Epistatic analysis of these regulators’ mutual dependencies revealed a pathway in which Rho regulators promote ANI-2 accumulation at the stable cytoplasmic bridge, which in turns promotes the accumulation of the non-muscle myosin II NMY-2 and the midbody component CYK-7 at the bridge, in part by limiting the accumulation of canonical anillin ANI-1. Our results uncover key steps in C. elegans germ line formation and define a set of conserved regulators that ensure the proper stability of the primordial germ cell cytoplasmic bridge during embryonic development.

Abscission checkpoint control: stuck in the middle with Aurora B

At the end of cell division, the cytoplasmic bridge joining the daughter cells is severed through a process that involves scission of the plasma membrane. The presence of chromatin bridges ‘stuck’ in the division plane is sensed by the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) component Aurora B kinase, triggering a checkpoint that delays abscission until the chromatin bridges have been resolved. Recent work has started to shed some light on the molecular mechanism by which the CPC controls the timing of abscission.

Dictyostelium huntingtin controls chemotaxis and cytokinesis through the regulation of myosin II phosphorylation

Abnormalities in the huntingtin protein (Htt) are associated with Huntington's disease. Despite its importance, the function of Htt is largely unknown. We show that Htt is required for normal chemotaxis and cytokinesis in Dictyostelium discoideum. Cells lacking Htt showed slower migration toward the chemoattractant cAMP and contained lower levels of cortical myosin II, which is likely due to defects in dephosphorylation of myosin II mediated by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). htt− cells also failed to maintain myosin II in the cortex of the cleavage furrow, generating unseparated daughter cells connected through a thin cytoplasmic bridge. Furthermore, similar to Dictyostelium htt− cells, siRNA-mediated knockdown of human HTT also decreased the PP2A activity in HeLa cells. Our data indicate that Htt regulates the phosphorylation status of myosin II during chemotaxis and cytokinesis through PP2A.

DWWA, a Novel Protein Containing Two WW Domains and an IQ Motif, Is Required for Scission of the Residual Cytoplasmic Bridge during Cytokinesis inDictyostelium

We have identified a novel gene, dwwA, which is required for cytokinesis of Dictyostelium cells on solid surfaces. Its product, Dd WW domain containing protein A (DWWA), contains several motifs, including two WW domains, an IQ motif, a C2 domain, and a proline-rich region. On substrates, cells lacking dwwA were multinucleated and larger and flatter than wild-type cells due to their frequent inability to sever the cytoplasmic bridge connecting daughter cells after mitosis. When cultured in suspension, however, dwwA-null cells seemed to carry out cytokinesis normally via a process not driven by the shearing force arising from agitation of the culture. GFP-DWWA localized to the cell cortex and nucleus; analysis of the distributions of various truncation mutants revealed that the N-terminal half of the protein, which contains the C2 domain, is required for the cortical localization of DWWA. The IQ motif of DWWA binds calmodulin in vitro. Given that the scission process is also defective in calmodulin knockdown cells cultured on substrates ( Liu et al., 1992 ), we propose that DWWA's multiple binding domains enable it to function as an adaptor protein, facilitating the scission process through the regulation of Ca2+/calmodulin-mediated remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and/or modulation of membrane dynamics.

Kinesin-like Protein CHO1 Is Required for the Formation of Midbody Matrix and the Completion of Cytokinesis in Mammalian Cells

CHO1 is a mammalian kinesin-like motor protein of the MKLP1 subfamily. It associates with the spindle midzone during anaphase and concentrates to a midbody matrix during cytokinesis. CHO1 was originally implicated in karyokinesis, but the invertebrate homologues of CHO1 were shown to function in the midzone formation and cytokinesis. To analyze the role of the protein in mammalian cells, we mutated the ATP-binding site of CHO1 and expressed it in CHO cells. Mutant protein (CHO1F′) was able to interact with microtubules via ATP-independent microtubule-binding site(s) but failed to accumulate at the midline of the central spindle and affected the localization of endogenous CHO1. Although the segregation of chromosomes, the bundling of midzone microtubules, and the initiation of cytokinesis proceeded normally in CHO1F′-expressing cells, the completion of cytokinesis was inhibited. Daughter cells were frequently entering interphase while connected by a microtubule-containing cytoplasmic bridge from which the dense midbody matrix was missing. Depletion of endogenous CHO1 via RNA-mediated interference also affected the formation of midbody matrix in dividing cells, caused the disorganization of midzone microtubules, and resulted in abortive cytokinesis. Thus, CHO1 may not be required for karyokinesis, but it is essential for the proper midzone/midbody formation and cytokinesis in mammalian cells.

Responses of a Model Legume Lotus japonicus to Lipochitin Oligosaccharide Nodulation Factors Purified from Mesorhizobium loti JRL501

Lotus japonicus has been proposed as a model legume for molecular genetic studies of symbiotic plant-microbe interactions leading to the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. Lipochitin oligosaccharides (LCOs), or Nod factors, were isolated from the culture of Mesorhizobium loti strain JRL501 (MAFF303099), an efficient microsymbiont of L. japonicus B-129 cv. Gifu. High-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometric analyses allowed us to identify at least five different structures of LCOs that were produced by JRL501. The major component was NodMl-V(C18:1, Me, Cb, AcFuc), an N-acetyl-glucosamine pentamer in which the nonreducing residue is N-acylated with a C18:1 acyl moiety, N-methylated, and carries a carbamoyl group and the reducing N-acetyl-glucosamine residue is substituted with 4-O-acetyl-fucose. Additional novel LCO structures bearing fucose instead of acetyl-fucose at the reducing end were identified. Mixtures of these LCOs could elicit abundant root hair deformation on L. japonicus roots at a concentration of 10-7 to 10-9 M. Spot inoculation of a few nanograms of LCOs on L. japonicus roots induced the formation of nodule primordia in which the early nodulin genes, ENOD40 and ENOD2, were expressed in a tissue-specific manner. We also observed the formation of a cytoplasmic bridge (preinfection thread) in the swollen outermost cortical cells. This is the first description of cytoplasmic bridge formation by purified LCOs alone in a legume-forming determinate nodules.

An Essential Role for a Membrane Lipid in Cytokinesis

Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is a major membrane phospholipid that is mainly localized in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. We previously demonstrated that PE was exposed on the cell surface of the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. Immobilization of cell surface PE by a PE-binding peptide inhibited disassembly of the contractile ring components, including myosin II and radixin, resulting in formation of a long cytoplasmic bridge between the daughter cells. This blockade of contractile ring disassembly was reversed by removal of the surface-bound peptide, suggesting that the PE exposure plays a crucial role in cytokinesis. To further examine the role of PE in cytokinesis, we established a mutant cell line with a specific decrease in the cellular PE level. On the culture condition in which the cell surface PE level was significantly reduced, the mutant ceased cell growth in cytokinesis, and the contractile ring remained in the cleavage furrow. Addition of PE or ethanolamine, a precursor of PE synthesis, restored the cell surface PE on the cleavage furrow and normal cytokinesis. These findings provide the first evidence that PE is required for completion of cytokinesis in mammalian cells, and suggest that redistribution of PE on the cleavage furrow may contribute to regulation of contractile ring disassembly.

Cytoplasmic bridge formation in the nodule apex of actinorhizal root nodules

High-pressure frozen - freeze-substituted actinorhizal root nodules of several distantly related plant genera were used to document the sequence of structural changes in cortical cells of the nodule apex that happened prior to their infection. The sequence of mobilization of the plant cell cytoplasm requisite to infection by Frankia was (i) penetration of the parenchyma cell vacuole by cytoplasmic strands, which contained microtubules; (ii) movement of the nucleus and other organelles (Golgi stacks, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria), involved later in growth of the infection thread, to the cell center on these strands; (iii) thickening of some of these strands generally located at midpoints of the wall, forming cytoplasmic bridges (preinfection threads); and (iv) infection of the cell by initiation of infection threads (containing Frankia) within the cytoplasmic bridges. The infection thread was caged in microtubules that were oriented along its axis, suggesting the cytoskeleton had a major role in the infection process, perhaps guiding the growth of the infection thread across the cell. The coalignment of cytoplasmic bridges, along several cells, towards the advancing microsymbiont suggested Frankia secretes a diffusible signal eliciting this host response.Key words: actinorhiza, cryofixation, development, infection, microtubules, symbiosis.