"For an egg cell to form, a group of nurse cells all empty their contents into what will become the egg cell. All organelles and proteins, everything, go to the egg cell,"
"This is a very dramatic process that is foundational to the development of life, yet exactly how this is accomplished has remained unclear."
"Inside cells, actin filaments are known for providing flexibility and support, while microtubules serve as more rigid "train tracks" for transport and shape. While the two have long been understood to interact, the mechanisms that guide their coordination during complex developmental stages remain poorly defined, said Vladimir Gelfand, PhD, the Leslie B. Arey Professor of Cell, Molecular, and Anatomical Sciences, who was co-senior author of the study."
"Using cutting-edge microscopy techniques, investigators observed that nurse cells, which supply nutrients and materials to the developing egg, build a stable, acetylated microtubule network at the same time that actin cables begin to form. Acetylation, a chemical modification that reinforces microtubules, was shown to be essential for maintaining this network. Disrupting this microtubule structure prevented both the initiation and elongation of actin cables, revealing that microtubules serve as a foundational scaffol"
Drosophila egg formation relies on coordinated construction of internal scaffolding as nurse cells transfer all organelles, proteins and materials into the oocyte. Nurse cells assemble a stable, acetylated microtubule network concurrently with the formation of actin cables. Acetylation chemically reinforces microtubules and is required to maintain the network. Loss or disruption of the microtubule structure prevents initiation and elongation of actin cables, indicating microtubules act as a foundational scaffold for actin assembly. Advanced microscopy visualized these cytoskeletal interactions and timing, revealing mechanistic cooperation between actin filaments and microtubules during egg development.
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