Fig. 7. Model of Asp function during mitosis/meiosis in males (A) and meiosis in females (B). Asp is depicted in orange and is localised at the minus ends of microtubules (green). DNA is shown in blue. (A) Asp is associated with the free microtubule minus ends at the metaphase spindle poles (left). At early telophase (centre), the central part of the spindle is reorganised, and a subpopulation of Asp molecules participate in nucleating central spindle microtubules. Following the completion of cytokinesis, Asp protein remains associated with the mid-body (somatic mitoses) or the ring canals (mitosis and meiosis in spermatogenesis). (B) Asp is at the acentriolar poles of the female meiotic spindles at metaphase I. The structure of the central MTOC starts to form at early telophase I by a reversal of the polarity of the central spindle microtubules. Asp is recruited to the central region at this time and is shown participating in the nucleation of the minus ends of these central spindle microtubules.

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