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The cellular and molecular mechanisms orchestrating the complex process by which bone marrow megakaryocytes form and release platelets remain poorly understood. Mature megakaryocytes generate long cytoplasmic extensions, proplatelets, which have the capacity to generate platelets. Although microtubules are the main structural component of proplatelets and microtubule sliding is known to drive proplatelet elongation, the role of actin dynamics in the process of platelet formation has remained elusive. Here, we tailored a mouse model lacking all ADF/n-cofilin–mediated actin dynamics in megakaryocytes to specifically elucidate the role of actin filament turnover in platelet formation. We demonstrate, for the first time, that in vivo actin filament turnover plays a critical role in the late stages of platelet formation from megakaryocytes and the proper sizing of platelets in the periphery. Our results provide the genetic proof that platelet production from megakaryocytes strictly requires dynamic changes in the actin cytoskeleton.

Despite extensive knowledge of the in vitro polymerization properties of nuclear lamins, it is still not well understood how the nuclear lamina assembles in vivo. To learn more about the relationship between in vitro and in vivo polymerization of nuclear lamins, we expressed Drosophilalamin Dm0mutant proteins, having well defined alterations of their in vitro polymerization properties, in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus system. All lamin Dm0mutants assembled into fibrillar aggregates indistinguishable in morphology from those assembled by the wild-type protein. However, in contrast to wild-type lamin Dm0, mutant proteins were extracted with buffers of physiological ionic strength and pH containing Driton X-100. These results indicate that various types of lamin dimer-dimer interactions can be disrupted without affecting the morphology of the lamin Dm0polymer. However, all types of dimer-dimer interactions tested appear to be important for full polymer stability. In addition, we analyzed the polymer formation of two Drosophilalamin C mutants and found that a segment in the carboxy-terminal tail domain is required for assembly of lamin C paracrystals at the nuclear lamina.

The p58/lamin B receptor of vertebrates is localized in the inner nuclear membrane. Antibodies raised against the bacterially expressed amino-terminal half of Xenopus p58 (Xp58) revealed that in Xenopus oocytes the vast majority of this membrane protein is localized in cytoplasmic membranes. Only very small amounts of p58 not detectable by immunofluorescence microscopy were contained in the oocyte nuclear envelope. In contrast, nuclear membranes of 2-cell stage embryos were successfully stained with p58 antibodies, nuclei reconstituted in vitro in Xenopus egg extracts contained p58, and the nucleoplasmic domain of Xp58 could be specifically bound to sperm chromatin in vitro. One major difference between oocytes and early embryonic cells is that no chromatin is associated with the oocyte inner nuclear membrane whereas the complement of lamins is identical in both cell types. To gain insight into the properties of oocyte p58 we microinjected isolated nuclei of cultured rat cells into the cytoplasm of Xenopus oocytes. The oocyte p58 was detectable by immunofluorescence microscopy within 16-20 hours in the nuclear membrane of rat nuclei. Our data indicate that the peripheral chromatin but not lamins are required for the retention of p58 in the inner nuclear membrane. Sucrose step gradient centrifugation of total oocyte membranes revealed that the oocyte p58 was predominantly recovered in membrane fractions that did not contain lamins whereas membrane associated lamins and p58 of unfertilized eggs were found in the same fractions. By electron microscopical immunolocalizations one major population of meiotic p58 vesicles was identified that contained exclusively p58 and a second minor population (ca. 11% of p58 vesicles) contained in addition to p58 membrane bound B-type lamins. Egg vesicles containing pore membrane proteins were predominantly recovered in gradient fractions that did not contain p58 and B-type lamins. Our data indicate that the targeting of p58 to chromatin at the end of mitosis in the early Xenopus embryo is a process independent from that of lamin targeting. Comparable to the situation in oocytes and eggs, a significant proportion of p58 of interphase cells could be recovered in fractions that did not contain lamins. This population of p58 molecules could be extracted from A6-cells with buffers containing 1% Triton X-100/0.15 M NaCl and could be pelleted by a 50,000 g centrifuation. A- and B-type lamins were not detectable in the p58 containing pellet.

We have previously identified and quantitated three B-type lamin isoforms present in the nuclei of mature Xenopus laevis oocytes, and in cell-free egg extracts. As Xenopus egg extracts are frequently used to analyze nuclear envelope assembly and lamina functions, we felt it was imperative that the polymerization and chromatin-binding properties of the endogenous B-type egg lamins be investigated. While we have demonstrated that soluble B-type lamins bind to chromatin, we have also observed that the polymerization of egg lamins does not require membranes or chromatin. Lamin assembly is enhanced by the addition of glycogen/glucose, or by the depletion of ATP from the extract. Moreover, the polymerization of egg cytosol lamins and their binding to demembranated sperm or chromatin assembled from naked λ-DNA is inhibited by an ATP regeneration system. These ATP-dependent inhibitory activities can be overcome by the coaddition of glycogen to egg cytosol. We have observed that glycogen does not alter ATP levels during cytosol incubation, but rather, as glycogen-enhanced lamin polymerization is inhibited by okadaic acid, we conclude that glycogen activates protein phosphatases. Because protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is the only phosphatase known to be specifically regulated by glycogen our data indicate that PP1 is involved in lamin polymerization. Our results show that ATP and glycogen effect lamin polymerization and chromatin binding by separate and opposing mechanisms.

We have previously shown that Xenopus oocytes, eggs, and early embryos contain lamins LII and LIII, and that portions of each are associated with distinct egg vesicle populations. We now report that a lamin similar or identical to the B-type lamin LI is also present in oocyte nuclei and in egg extracts. We have quantitated the three B-type lamins per oocyte nucleus, and have calculated relative ratios of LI:LIII = 1:100, and LII:LIII = 1:10. Similar to lamin LII, 5-15% of lamin LI is associated with egg membranes in a biochemically stable manner. Egg vesicles absorbed with lamin isoform-specific antibodies to magnetic beads indicate that lamin LI-associated egg membranes are of heterogenous morphology, and are independent from the lamin LII and LIII vesicle populations. Compared to other nuclear envelope proteins, the synthesis of lamin LI protein is specifically elevated during meiotic maturation, resulting in a 4- to 12-fold higher amount of lamin LI in eggs than is present in oocyte nuclei. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot analysis demonstrated that lamins LI, LII, and LIII are associated with the nuclear envelope formed on demembranated sperm when added to activated egg extract. These results strongly suggest that three different lamin-associated vesicle populations are involved in the formation of a nuclear envelope in egg extracts.

Nuclei of vitellogenic oocytes of the frog, Xenopus laevis, contain a prominent protein, representing about 10% of nuclear protein, which is characterized by a polypeptide of Mr30,000. This protein is highly phosphorylated and acidic, displays several isoelectric variants with pI values ranging from 4.7 to 5.3, shows a high thermostability, is not stably complexed with other proteins, and is readily extracted in buffer solutions. Guinea pig antibodies against this protein have allowed its specific immunoprecipitation and localization by immunofluorescence microscopy, using both frozen tissue sections and cells grown in vitro. The protein is located almost exclusively in the nucleus where it appears to be spread throughout the nuclear interior. It is also a major nucleus-specific protein in vitellogenic and previtellogenic oocytes of other amphibian species as well as in other cell types, including hepatocytes, follicle epithelial cells, and cultured Xenopuscells, but is not detected in nuclei of transcriptionally inactive cells such as erythrocytes and spermatids. An immunologically related, if not identical, protein occurs in nuclei of higher vertebrate cells, including mammals. The properties of this abundant nuclear phosphoprotein and its possible relationship to the “nucleosome assembly factor” protein are discussed. It is suggested that this soluble protein serves a general nuclear function.

The nuclear lamina is a karyoskeletal structure located at the periphery of cell nuclei. The major constituents are the lamins, which belong to the evolutionarily conserved multigene family of intermediate filament proteins. Lamins show a conspicuous cell type-specific expression pattern. The majoritiy of somatic cells of vertebrates express A-type (lamins A and C) as well as B-type (lamins B1 and B2) lamins. Although a lamina structure has been demonstrated to be a ubiquitous component of somatic nuclei its existence in certain meiotic stages during spermatogenesis has been a matter of debate. In this study, we investigated the expression of lamins in rat spermatogenic cells using immunological and protein-chemical methods. We report on the presence of a nuclear lamina structure in rat pachytene spermatocytes. With the aid of a novel broad-reacting lamin antibody we have demonstrated the expression of a protein that is closely related, if not identical, to lamin B1.

We have investigated the existence of structural components in the nucleus of the oocyte of Xenopus laevis and other amphibia that are insoluble in non-denaturing detergents and buffers of low and high ionic strength. These cells are particularly suitable for such studies as they have a high frequency of extrachromosomal amplified nucleoli and pore complexes of the nuclear envelope. Using biochemical and immunological techniques, we have shown these structures to contain only two major proteins. These are a polypeptide of M, 145 000, which is located in a meshwork of filaments specific to the nucleolar cortex, and certain nucleoplasmic bodies probably derived therefrom, and a polypeptide of Mr 68 000, which is the predominant constituent of the lamina-pore complex structure. We show that the latter protein is related to, but not identical to, lamina proteins (‘lamins’) of somatic cells, indicating cell type-specificity of the expression of polypeptides of the lamin family. In addition, we describe a protein of Mr 180 000, which is the major constituent of the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus. This can be partially solubilized in buffers of moderately high ionic strength. We interpret proteins of this category as karyoskeletal components involved in the architectural organization of specific functional topology within the nucleus. In contrast to previous reports for other cell types we have found no other prominent high-salt-insoluble structures in the nuclear interior, indicating the absence of an extended internal nuclear matrix in this kind of nucleus.