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Essential role for γ‐tubulin in the acentriolar female meiotic spindle of Drosophila
Author(s) -
Tavosanis Gaia,
Llamazares Salud,
Goulielmos George,
Gonzalez Cayetano
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/16.8.1809
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila melanogaster , centrosome , tubulin , microbiology and biotechnology , meiosis , gene isoform , microtubule , genetics , mitosis , microtubule organizing center , gene , cell cycle
Microtubule nucleation in vivo requires γ‐tubulin, a highly conserved component of microtubule‐organizing centers. In Drosophila melanogaster there are two γ‐tubulin genes, γTUB23C and γTUB37C. Here we report the cytological and molecular characterization of the 37C isoform. By Western blotting, this protein can only be detected in ovaries and embryos. Antibodies against this isoform predominantly label the centrosomes in embryos from early cleavage divisions until cycle 15, but fail to reveal any particular localization of γ‐tubulin in the developing egg chambers. The loss of function of this gene results in female sterility and has no effect on viability or male fertility. Early stages of oogenesis are unaffected by mutations in this gene, as judged both by morphological criteria and by localization of reporter genes, but the female meiotic spindle is extremely disrupted. Nuclear proliferation within the eggs laid by mutant females is also impaired. We conclude that the expression of the 37C γ‐tubulin isoform of D.melanogaster is under strict developmental regulation and that the organization of the female meiotic spindle requires γ‐tubulin.