PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Wood, Benjamin W.
AU  - Weil, Timothy T.
TI  - Spindle F-actin coordinates the first metaphase-anaphase transition in <em>Drosophila</em> meiosis
AID  - 10.1101/2022.08.09.503402
DP  - 2022 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2022.08.09.503402
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/08/11/2022.08.09.503402.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/08/11/2022.08.09.503402.full
AB  - Meiosis is a highly conserved feature of sexual reproduction that ensures germ cells have the correct number of chromosomes prior to fertilization. A subset of microtubules, known as the spindle, are essential for accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis. Building evidence in mammalian systems has recently highlighted the unexpected requirement of the actin cytoskeleton in chromosome segregation; a network of spindle actin filaments appear to regulate many aspects of this process. Here we show that Drosophila oocytes also have a spindle population of actin that regulates the formation of the microtubule spindle and chromosomal movements throughout meiosis. We demonstrate that genetic and pharmacological disruption of the actin cytoskeleton has a significant impact on spindle morphology, dynamics, and chromosome alignment and segregation during the metaphase-anaphase transition. We further reveal the requirement of calcium in maintaining the microtubule spindle and spindle actin. Together, our data highlights the significant conservation of morphology and mechanism of the spindle actin during meiosis.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.