Mutations affecting the cytoskeletal organization of syncytial Drosophila embryos

Cytoplasmic organization, nuclear migration, and nuclear division in the early syncytial Drosophila embryo are all modulated by the cytoskeleton. In an attempt to identify genes involved in cytoskeletal functions, we have examined a collection of maternal-effect lethal mutations induced by single P-element transposition for those that cause defects in nuclear movement, organization, or morphology during the syncytial embryonic divisions. We describe three mutations, grapes, scrambled, and nuclear-fallout, which define three previously uncharacterized genes. Females homozygous for these mutations produce embryos that exhibit extensive mitotic division errors only after the nuclei migrate to the surface. Analysis of the microfilament and microtubule organization in embryos derived from these newly identified mutations reveal disruptions in the cortical cytoskeleton. Each of the three mutations disrupts the actin-based pseudocleavage furrows and the cellularization furrows in a distinct fashion. In addition to identifying new genes involved in cytoskeletal organization, these mutations provide insights into cytoskeletal function during early Drosophila embryogenesis.