Wilson, P Molecular and genetic control of microtubule organization in Drosophila.
Microtubules provide form and organization to eukaryotic cells.
In somatic cells, the bulk of microtubule polymer emanates primarily from centrosomes, consisting of a pair of centrioles embedded in a cloud of pericentriolar material. Spindle assembly is a useful model for understanding the underlying mechanisms of microtubule organization throughout the cell cycle and during development. Yet, the female meiotic spindle in most animals is acentriolar and therefore lacks a canonical centrosome. If so, it not clear why microtubule-dependent motors do not transform monopolar spindles into bipolar structures. The central goal of our research is to define the respective roles of centrosomes and motors in spindle assembly.