Fig. 3. Asp associates with the poles but not the central spindle of dd4^S spermatocytes. Asp localization (red) in relation to microtubules (green) and DNA (blue) in meiotic wild-type (A-C) or dd4^S (D-F) cells. Wild-type cysts are shown at prometaphase (A) and anaphase/telophase (B). Asp is localized at the spindle poles (arrowhead in B) and in association with the tips of microtubules in the central spindle during anaphase/telophase (arrows in B). (C) Later telophase stage in which cells show pronounced constriction around the central spindle mid-zone. Asp interacts with the putative minus ends of central spindle microtubules, more distant from the poles at this stage (arrows and arrowheads in the inset). The inset shows an enlargement of the spindle marked with small arrowhead. (D) Cyst of dd4^S cells apparently at early meiosis with Asp staining at the centre of the hemi-spindle asters (arrowheads). The arrows indicate cells attempting to organize a bipolar spindle with defects in Asp distribution at the poles. The inset shows a higher magnification of the distribution of Asp in a hemi-spindle. (E) Cyst of dd4^S cells in which the arrow points to a sharp cone with Asp staining only at the astral pole. The arrowheads highlight microtubule tips at the periphery of three hemi-spindles. Inset shows a more detailed view of a cone with fibrous Asp-containing material emanating from the astral pole and in this case also localizing near a central-spindle-like bundle of microtubules. (F) dd4^S cyst displaying a anaphase cell lacking central spindle microtubules and with fragmented Asp staining at the poles (arrow). The large arrowhead points to a fibrous distribution of Asp emanating from the centre of a hemi-spindle aster. The inset shows a higher magnification of the spindle indicated by the small arrowhead showing a cone with some Asp localizing in the central-spindle-like region. Bars, 50 µm. Bar in insets of D and E, 10 µm.

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