The spindle pole body duplicates in early G1 phase in the pathogenic yeast Exophiala dermatitidis: an ultrastructural...

The spindle pole body of the pathogenic yeast Exophiala dermatitidis was observed during the cell cycle using freeze-substitution and serial ultrathin sectioning electron microscopy. The spindle pole body was located on the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope and consisted of two disk elements connected by an intervening midpiece in G1 through G2 phases. Each disk element was composed of filamentous materials and measured 150 nm in diameter and 100 nm in thickness. The midpiece had higher electron density and measured 60 nm in length and 40 nm in thickness. At the beginning of prophase, each disk element of the spindle pole body enlarged to more than double in size. They were separated on the nuclear envelope, and associated with numerous cytoplasmic microtubules. At mitosis, the spindle pole body entered the nuclear envelope, associated with numerous nuclear microtubules, and was located at the spindle poles. At the end of telophase, it was extruded back into the cytoplasm from the nuclear envelope. Three-dimensional analysis of cells in different cell cycles suggested that duplication of the spindle pole body took place in early G1 phase. Thus, the location, structure, and duplication cycle of the E. dermatitidis spindle pole body were different from those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.