Fig. 5. Loss of Drosophila citron leads to failure of cytokinesis and
hyperploidy in the larval brain. Wild-type (A) and
cit2/Df(3)iro-2 mutant (B-H'') brain lobe tissues
from third instar larvae. (A,B) Immunochemical staining of whole mount brain
lobes with anti-phospho Histone H3 (PH3), to detect cells in mitosis, showing
large nuclei (arrow) in cit2/Df(3)iro-2 cells (B)
compared to wild-type (A). (C) Binucleate cells dissociated from
cit2/Df(3)iro-2 mutant brain lobes stained with
Hoechst 33258 to detect DNA (white) overlaid on the phase-contrast image of
the cells. (D-F) Mitotic figures from
cit2/Df(3)iro-2 mutant cells, which were squashed
and stained with Giemsa dye to detect chromosomes. (D) Tetraploid cell at
metaphase. (E) Hyperploid cell showing effective chromosome separation at
anaphase. (F) Very highly hyperploid cell. (G-G'', H-H'') High
magnification view of individual polyploid cells from mutant brain lobes
stained with anti-
-Tubulin (G,H) and anti-PH3 (G',H').
(G'',H'') Merged images. (G-G'') Abnormal metaphase. Three
spindle poles are detected by anti-
-Tubulin staining (cf
pebble mutants in Fig.
3E). (H-H'') The cell exhibits a highly polyploid content of
condensed DNA and there are eight spindle poles (four in the field of view)
associated with defective microtubule spindles that fail to assemble
chromosomes at the cell equator (H').