The kinetically dominant assembly pathway for centrosomal asters in Caenorhabditis elegans is gamma-tubulin dependent.

gamma-Tubulin-containing complexes are thought to nucleate and anchor centrosomal microtubules (MTs). Surprisingly, a recent study (Strome, S., J.

A ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase is required to maintain osmotic balance and execute actin-dependent processes in the early C. elegans embryo.

In the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo, establishment of cell polarity and cytokinesis are both dependent upon reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Mutations in the cyk-3 gene cause maternal effect embryonic lethality. Embryos produced by homozygous cyk-3 mutant animals become multinucleate.