Behavior of spindles and spindle plaques in the cell cycle and conjugation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The interdependence of spindle plaque with other aspects of cell division and conjugation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been investigated. Three forms of the spindle plaque appear sequentially before the formation of the complete, intranuclear spindle. The single plaque is present initially in the mitotic cycle; it becomes transformed into a satellite-bearing single plaque during the latter part of G1. Subsequently, plaque duplication yields the double plaque characteristic of the early phase of budding, which coincides with the period of chromosome replication (S). The eventual separation of these plaques to form a complete spindle, with a single plaque at each pole, is nearly coincident with the completion of S. The form of the plaque differs in two independent cases of G1 arrest: the single plaque is found in a cell in stationary arrest of growth, whereas a cell arrested by mating factors in preparation for conjugation contains a satellite-bearing single plaque. The latter form is retained during zygote formation, where it serves as the initial site of fusion of each prezygotic nuceus with the other. This fusion results in the formation of a single zygotic nucleus with a satellite-bearing single plaque, which is subsequently transformed into a double plaque as the zygote buds. The double plaque is situated adjacent to the site of bud emergence in both vegetative cells and zygotes.