Molecular Biology of the Cell Call for Nominations: MBC Editor-in-Chief

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Originally published as MBC in Press, 10.1091/mbc.E07-10-1069 on May 7, 2008

Vol. 19, Issue 7, 3163-3178, July 2008

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Supplemental Materials
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
E07-10-1069v1
19/7/3163    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Related articles in Mol. Biol. Cell
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rogers, G. C.
Right arrow Articles by Rogers, S. L.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rogers, G. C.
Right arrow Articles by Rogers, S. L.

A Multicomponent Assembly Pathway Contributes to the Formation of Acentrosomal Microtubule Arrays in Interphase Drosophila Cells

Gregory C. Rogers*, Nasser M. Rusan*, Mark Peifer{dagger}, and Stephen L. Rogers{ddagger}

*Department of Biology, {dagger}Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and {ddagger}Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Submitted October 24, 2007; Revised April 1, 2008; Accepted April 29, 2008
Monitoring Editor: Tim Stearns

InCytes from MBC

In animal cells, centrosomes nucleate microtubules that form polarized arrays to organize the cytoplasm. Drosophila presents an interesting paradox however, as centrosome-deficient mutant animals develop into viable adults. To understand this discrepancy, we analyzed behaviors of centrosomes and microtubules in Drosophila cells, in culture and in vivo, using a combination of live-cell imaging, electron microscopy, and RNAi. The canonical model of the cycle of centrosome function in animal cells states that centrosomes act as microtubule-organizing centers throughout the cell cycle. Unexpectedly, we found that many Drosophila cell-types display an altered cycle, in which functional centrosomes are only present during cell division. On mitotic exit, centrosomes disassemble producing interphase cells containing centrioles that lack microtubule-nucleating activity. Furthermore, steady-state interphase microtubule levels are not changed by codepleting both {gamma}-tubulins. However, {gamma}-tubulin RNAi delays microtubule regrowth after depolymerization, suggesting that it may function partially redundantly with another pathway. Therefore, we examined additional microtubule nucleating factors and found that Mini-spindles, CLIP-190, EB1, or dynein RNAi also delayed microtubule regrowth; surprisingly, this was not further prolonged when we codepleted {gamma}-tubulins. Taken together, these results modify our view of the cycle of centrosome function and reveal a multi-component acentrosomal microtubule assembly pathway to establish interphase microtubule arrays in Drosophila.

This was published online ahead of print in MBC in Press (http://www.molbiolcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1091/mbc.E07-10-1069) on May 7, 2008.

Address correspondence to: Stephen Rogers (srogers{at}bio.unc.edu)

Abbreviations used: MT, microtubules; HTM, high-throughput microscopy; MTOC, microtubule-organizing center; PCM, pericentriolar material; NEB, nuclear envelope breakdown; {gamma}Tub, gamma tubulin; +TIP, plus–end tracking protein; Msps, mini-spindles; DHC, dynein heavy chain; RNAi, RNA interference.


Related articles in Mol. Biol. Cell:

InCytes from MBC, July 2008

Mol. Biol. Cell 2008 19: 2681. [PDF]  





Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society for Cell Biology. Terms of copyright protection, warranties, and disclaimers.