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Section: New Results
Tracking of astral microtubules at the cell cortex
Participants : Frédéric Logé-Munerel, Thierry Pécot, Antoine Basset, Charles Kervrann.
In this study, we are currently interested in the influence of the mechanical properties of astral microtubules in the centering mechanisms of the mitotic spindle, giving it a robust positioning. In their previous studies, the CeDRE group (IGDR Rennes) identified two subpopulations of astral microtubules that either push or pull the cell cortex. To better understand these mechanisms, they acquired image sequences at the cortex level where astral microtubules extremities come to exert forces. In order to characterize the two subpopulations of astral microtubules during the mitosis in the unicellular embryos of C. Elegans life span, that is the period during which the microtubule is touching the cell cortex, has to be measured for every single microtubule. A short life span corresponds to a pulling force and a long life span corresponds to a pushing force. Detecting and tracking microtubules at the cell cortex has to be done to collect these measures. This year, F. Logé-Munerel (internship Master 1, supervisors: T. Pécot and C. Kervrann) improved the analysis workflow and calibrated the parameters of the algorithms to successfully track the microtubules. This workflow is composed of the ND-Safir denoising algorithm [4] , the Atlas detection algorithm [12] and the Astre tracking algorithm [56] . The experimental results are currently compared with results obtained by the CeDRE group using the U-track platform [50] (see Fig. 7 ).
Collaborators: Jacques Pécréaux and Hélène Bouvrais (CeDRE group, IGDR Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290).
