Novel mechanism of microtubule-chromosome interaction in cell division

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02471
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44030:Plant molecular biology and physiology-related
• Research Institution: Kanagawa Institute of Technology (2020-2021); National Institute for Basic Biology (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: murata takashi 神奈川工科大学, 応用バイオ科学部, 教授 (00242024)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 微小管 / 紡錘体 / 植物細胞 / 核膜 / 液液相分離

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Centrosomes form spindle microtubules and the centrosomal microtubules plays in role of chromosome capture and alignment in animal cells. The centrosomes are lost in plant cells, and how spindle microtubules are formed and how chromosomes are captured by them are unknown. In this study, we visualize behavior of the nuclear envelope, microtubules, and chromosomes, and the interaction between microtubules and chromosomes by live imaging. Furthermore, microtubules were double-labeled with mScarlet-i and msGFP, and photobleaching experiments were performed to analyze rates of microtubule polymerization and depolymerization. It was found that microtubule polymerization shifts to the inside of the fragmented nuclear envelope. Since microtubules originating from the centromere could not be detected, it was considered that induction of microtubules by chromosomes is not involved in microtubule polymerization.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

紡錘体は細胞分裂の時に出現する構造で、遺伝情報を娘細胞に伝える染色体を2つに分配する。生きている植物細胞で紡錘体、染色体、核膜、動原体を蛍光標識して通常の共焦点顕微鏡および共同研究で開発した2光子スピニングディスク共焦点顕微鏡で観察することにより、紡錘体が作られる仕組みと染色体と紡錘体が結合するしくみを明らかにした。この研究は植物の細胞分裂の仕組みがどのように進化してきたかの理解に貢献するとともに、植物細胞の増殖機構を研究するために役に立つ。