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First published online December 31, 2003
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/jcs.00869

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Maternally expressed and partially redundant ß-tubulins in Caenorhabditis elegans are autoregulated

Gregory C. Ellis^1,*, Jennifer B. Phillips¹, Sean O'Rourke¹, Rebecca Lyczak^1, and Bruce Bowerman^1,

¹ Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA

Author for correspondence (e-mail: bbowerman{at}molbio.uoregon.edu)

Accepted 12 September 2003

The mitotic spindle, which partitions replicated chromosomes to daughter cells during cell division, is composed of microtubule assemblies of /ß-tubulin heterodimers. Positioning of the mitotic spindle influences the size and location of daughter cells, and can be important for the proper partitioning of developmental determinants. We describe two semi-dominant mis-sense mutations in tbb-2, one of two C. elegans ß-tubulin genes that are maternally expressed and together are required for microtubule-dependent processes in the early embryo. These mutations result in a posteriorly displaced and misoriented mitotic spindle during the first cell division. In contrast, a probable tbb-2 null allele is recessive, and when homozygous results in less severe spindle positioning defects and only partially penetrant embryonic lethality. Two of the tbb-2 mutations result in reduced levels of TBB-2 protein, and increased levels of a second maternally expressed ß-tubulin, TBB-1. However, levels of TBB-1 are not increased in a tbb-2 mutant with an allele that does not result in reduced levels of TBB-2 protein. We conclude that feedback regulation influences maternal ß-tubulin expression in C. elegans, but cannot fully restore normal microtubule function in the absence of one ß-tubulin isoform.

Key words: ß-tubulin, Meiosis, Microtubules, Mitotic spindle, Polarity, Asymmetric cell division

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