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Elastic tethers between separating anaphase chromosomes in crane‐fly spermatocytes coordinate chromosome movements to the two poles
Author(s) -
Sheykhani Rozhan,
Berns Michael,
Forer Arthur
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cytoskeleton
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1949-3592
pISSN - 1949-3584
DOI - 10.1002/cm.21347
Subject(s) - anaphase , kinetochore , biology , microtubule , chromosome , advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer , astral microtubules , microbiology and biotechnology , telomere , physics , genetics , dna , satellite , astronomy , gene
Separating anaphase chromosomes in crane‐fly spermatocytes are connected by elastic tethers, as originally described by LaFountain et al. (2002): telomere‐containing arm fragments severed from the arms move backwards to the partner telomeres. We have tested whether the tethers coordinate the movements of separating partner chromosomes. In other cell types anaphase chromosomes move faster, temporarily, when their kinetochore microtubules are severed. However, in crane‐fly spermatocytes the chromosomes move at their usual speed when their kinetochore microtubules are severed. To test whether the absence of increased velocity is because tethers link the separating chromosomes and coordinate their movements, we cut tethers with a laser microbeam and then cut the kinetochore microtubules. After this procedure, the associated chromosome sped up, as in other cells. These results indicate that the movements of partner anaphase chromosomes in crane‐fly spermatocytes are coordinated by elastic tethers connecting the two chromosomes and confirm that chromosomes speed up in anaphase when their kinetochore microtubules are severed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.