Advanced 4D Tracking of Meiotic Spindle Dynamics

Whereas mitotic spindle dynamics have been studied in detail within C. elegans, the dynamics during male meiosis remain mainly elusive. Using the live animal, Gunar Fabig, PhD student at the MüllerReichert lab, conducted for the fi rst time a quantitative analysis of spindle dynamics during male meiosis I and II in 4D. Combining the advantages of C. elegans (transparency, easy mounting, the possibility to fluorescently tag proteins, accessibility of the gonad) with spinning disc microscopy (fast image acquisition), Gunar was able to obtain 3D stacks of the full male gonad every 30 s for 45 to 60 min.