Microtubule assembly in cultured myoblasts and myotubes following nocodazole induced microtubule depolymerisation

Abstract

When myoblasts fuse into myotubes, the organisation of the cytoskeleton changes dramatically. For example, microtubules emanate in a radial array form the centrosome in myoblasts, but form linear arrays not linked to a centrosome in myotubes. It is not clear how these linear arrays are formed and nucleated. They could arise in a number of ways: by nucleation and release from centrosomal like structures, cytoplasmic assembly, breakage/severing or nucleation from non-centrosomal sites. To test which of the above mechanisms or combination of mechanisms are responsible we investigated the re-formation of microtubules after depolymerisation by nocodazole, using antibodies against pericentrin, γ-tubulin, EB1, and tyrosinated α-tubulin. In myoblasts, we found that when microtubules were allowed to recover after complete depolymerisation with nocodazole, microtubule recovery began within 1 min and was complete after 5 min. Microtubules grew out from the centrosome, which was positively stained for γ-tubulin or pericentrin. In untreated myotubes, microtubules were arranged in linear arrays, with EB1 at their ends. The pericentriolar protein, pericentrin was arranged in a band around the nucleus as well as discrete spots in the cytoplasm. In contrast, the microtubule nucleating protein γ-tubulin was not found in a band around the nucleus, but was found in several punctuate spots throughout the cytoplasm. Further, when microtubules were allowed to recover, after complete depolymerisation with nocodazole, recovery was not as rapid as that seen in myoblasts, and we found that regrowth began with the formation of short microtubule fragments throughout the cytoplasm. γ-tubulin was associated with these fragments. These results suggest that in myotubes, nucleation of microtubules can be non-centrosomal.