Sex Specific Microtubule Stabilizing Properties of CLS-2 During Anaphase I in Caenorhabditis elegans
Elida Hernandez, Iveth Navarro, Tania Cardenas Bruno
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: Diana Chu
One in six people experience infertility with approximately half of the cases linked to male fertility complications, with proper spermatogenesis playing a crucial factor. Abnormalities in chromosome segregation can lead to disruptions in chromosome formation which can be dangerous for the offspring and often fatal. CLS-2 is a kinetochore protein that traditionally constructs the central spindle localized in the mid-region between segregating chromosomes in oocyte meiosis and mitosis. However, a distinctive feature found in male Caenorhabditis elegans is an unpaired X chromosome that lags throughout division where CLS-2 displays a sperm specific localization by the chromosomes and surrounds the lagging X. There is a tug-of-war between microtubules at each pole to ultimately seize the unpaired chromosome to one side. We use live imaging to monitor cell division and visualize CLS-2 density in male C. elegans using confocal microscopy. To determine CLS-2 levels for proper spermatogenesis, we depleted CLS-2 with an Auxin Induced Degron Pathway treatment. Furthermore, we utilized the Corrected Total Cell Fluorescence formula and observed an insignificant difference of CLS-2 regardless of which direction the lagging X resolved to. By studying male sperm meiosis we can learn about the essential mechanisms for successful fertility and how to minimize aneuploidy.