Figure 2
From: Bluetongue virus infection induces aberrant mitosis in mammalian cells
BTV affects the microtubule organising centre (MTOC) and disrupts the interaction between condensed chromosomes and microtubules. BTV-16v-infected or mock infected BHK-21 cells were fixed and assessed for microtubule organising centre (MTOC) integrity using confocal microscopy. (A) Uninfected cells in interphase showed a loose array of microtubules (alpha tubulin labelling, green) with a single MTOC (gamma tubulin labelling, red). (B) Uninfected but mitotic cells contained a single highly organised microtubule spindle with an MTOC at each pole, associated with the condensed chromosomes (blue) arranged perpendicular to the spindle. Mitotic cells infected with BTV-16v lacked organisation and symmetry in the spindle and the MTOC appeared to be disrupted (C), with the MTOC also disrupted in infected cells in interphase (D). Centrin labelling was altered, from a largely punctate form in uninfected cells (E) to a more dispersed distribution in infected cells (F). NS1 (green) localised to the region of the MTOC. (G,H) In contrast, FOP (arrows) labelling remained punctate in both infected and uninfected cells. (I) In uninfected cells, p150glued (green) exhibited a diffuse cytoplasmic distribution in interphase and a spindle-like formation in mitosis (insert), but in infected cells (J) p150glued was more condensed and localised towards the nucleus in a region suggestive of the MTOC. (K) EB1 labelling of the growing tips of microtubules shows a close association with the condensed chromosomes in uninfected mitotic cells. (L) In contrast, EB1 labelling and the microtubule tips showed a wider distribution and less association with the condensed chromosomes in infected mitotic cells. Scale bar = 10 μm.