Coordination of Embryogenesis by the Centrosome in Drosophila melanogaster

The first 3 h of Drosophila melanogaster embryo development are exemplified by rapid nuclear divisions within a large syncytium, transforming the zygote to the cellular blastoderm after 13 successive cleavage divisions. As the syncytial embryo develops, it relies on centrosomes and cytoskeletal dynamics to transport nuclei, maintain uniform nuclear distribution throughout cleavage cycles, ensure generation of germ cells, and coordinate cellularization. For the sake of this review, we classify six early embryo stages that rely on processes coordinated by the centrosome and its regulation of the cytoskeleton. The first stage features migration of one of the female pronuclei toward the male pronucleus following maturation of the first embryonic centrosomes. Two subsequent stages distribute the nuclei first axially and then radially in the embryo. The remaining three stages involve centrosome-actin dynamics that control cortical plasma membrane morphogenesis. In this review, we highlight the dynamics of the centrosome and its role in controlling the six stages that culminate in the cellularization of the blastoderm embryo.