A probe for flagellar dynein in the mammalian mitotic apparatus.

An anti-serum has been prepared in rabbits that precipitates high-molecular-weight bovine sperm proteins, including the dyneins. The activity of the serum against the dyneins is demonstrated by the recognition of dynein polypeptides in stained electrophoretic profiles of sperm proteins and in immunoprecipitates of radiolabelled sperm proteins. In addition, the serum stains the sperm flagella when used in indirect immunofluorescence and quantitatively inhibits the motility of demembranated sperm reactivated with ATP. However, the serum has additional anti-sperm activities besides those directed against the dyneins as demonstrated by the staining of the acrosome in indirect immunofluorescence. When used to immunoprecipitate proteins from extracts of cultured cells, the serum precipitates 2 polypeptides; one has a molecular weight higher than the flagellar dyneins, one lower. No specific staining of cultured cells is observed when an affinity-purified anti-dynein fraction IgG is used to stain a variety of cultured cells including bovine fibroblasts. We interpret these data to suggest that flagellar dynein is not a component of the mammalian mitotic spindle and discuss how this conclusion is consistent with recent genetic and structural studies on the mitotic spindle.