CLASPs function redundantly to regulate astral microtubules in the C. elegans embryo.

ABSTRACT: Microtubule dynamics are thought to play an important role in regulating microtubule interactions with cortical force generating motor proteins that position the spindle during asymmetric cell division. CLASPs are microtubule-associated proteins that have a conserved role in regulating microtubule dynamics in diverse cell types. Caenorhabditis elegans has three CLASP homologs in its genome. CLS-2 is known to localize to kinetochores and is needed for chromosome segregation at meiosis and mitosis; however CLS-1 and CLS-3 have not been reported to have any role in embryonic development. Here, we show that depletion of CLS-2 in combination with either CLS-1 or CLS-3 results in defects in nuclear rotation, maintenance of spindle length, and spindle displacement in the one-cell embryo. Polarity

SUBMITTER: Espiritu EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3600381 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature