PCMD-1 bridges the centrioles and the pericentriolar material scaffold in C. elegans

Stenzel, Lisa; Schreiner, Alina; Zuccoli, Elisa; Uestuener, Sim; Mehler, Judith; Zanin, Esther and Mikeladze-Dvali, Tamara (2021): PCMD-1 bridges the centrioles and the pericentriolar material scaffold in C. elegans. In: Development, Vol. 148, No. 20, dev198416

Abstract

Correct cell division relies on the formation of a bipolar spindle. In animal cells, microtubule nucleation at the spindle poles is facilitated by the pericentriolar material (PCM), which assembles around a pair of centrioles. Although centrioles are essential forPCM assembly, the proteins that anchor the PCM to the centrioles are less known. Here, we investigate the molecular function of PCMD-1 in bridging the PCM and the centrioles in Caenorhabditis elegans. We demonstrate that the centrosomal recruitment of PCMD-1 is dependent on the outer centriolar protein SAS-7. The most C-terminal part of PCMD-1 is sufficient to target it to the centrosome, and the coiled-coil domain promotes its accumulation by facilitating self-interaction. We reveal that PCMD-1 interacts with the PCM scaffold protein SPD-5, the mitotic kinase PLK-1 and the centriolar protein SAS-4. Using an ectopic translocation assay, we show that PCMD-1 can selectively recruit downstream PCM scaffold components to an ectopic location in the cell, indicating that PCMD-1 is able to anchor the PCM scaffold proteins at the centrioles. Our work suggests that PCMD-1 is an essential functional bridge between the centrioles and the PCM.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Biology > Department Biology II
• Subjects: 500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
• ISSN: 0950-1991
• Language: English