Chromatin-mediated microtubule nucleation in Drosophila syncytial embryos

Upon entry into mitosis, many microtubules are nucleated that coordinately integrate into a stable, yet dynamic, mitotic spindle apparatus. In a recent publication, we examined microtubule-generating pathways within a single model system, the Drosophila syncytial embryo. We found that, following depolymerisation of metaphase spindle microtubules by cold treatment, spindles regenerate predominantly from microtubules nucleated within the vicinity of chromatin. We also showed this chromatin-mediated microtubule nucleation is mediated by the Drosophila homolog of a vertebrate spindle assembly factor (SAF), HURP and is dependent on the conserved microtubule amplifying protein complex, Augmin. Here, we expand our investigation into Drosophila SAFs, providing evidence that, in vitro, both D-HURP and D-TPX2 are able to bind to and stabilize microtubules. We show that GFP-D-HURP purified from embryos interacts with Importin-β and Augmin and, consistent with this, demonstrate that the underlying basis of chromatin-mediated microtubule nucleation in Drosophila syncytial embryos is dependent on Ran-GTP.