Abstract
Endomitosis is a unique megakaryocyte (MK) differentiation process that is the consequence of a late cytokinesis failure associated with a contractile ring defect. Evidence from in vitro studies has revealed the distinct roles of 2 nonmuscle myosin IIs (NMIIs) on MK endomitosis: only NMII-B (MYH10), but not NMII-A (MYH9), is localized in the MK contractile ring and implicated in mitosis/endomitosis transition. Here, we studied 2 transgenic mouse models in which nonmuscle myosin heavy chain (NMHC) II-A was genetically replaced either by II-B or by a chimeric NMHCII that combined the head domain of II-A with the rod and tail domains of II-B. This study provides in vivo evidence on the specific role of NMII-B on MK polyploidization. It demonstrates that the carboxyl-terminal domain of the heavy chains determines myosin II localization to the MK contractile ring and is responsible for the specific role of NMII-B in MK polyploidization.