Sas-4 provides a scaffold for cytoplasmic complexes and tethers them in a centrosome

Gopalakrishnan, Jayachandran, Mennella, Vito, Blachon, Stephanie, Zhai, Bo, Smith, Andrew H, Megraw, Timothy L, Nicastro, Daniela, Gygi, Steven P, Agard, David A and Avidor-Reiss, Tomer (2011) Sas-4 provides a scaffold for cytoplasmic complexes and tethers them in a centrosome. Nature Communications, 2, 1-11. (doi:10.1038/ncomms1367).

Abstract

Centrosomes are conserved organelles that are essential for accurate cell division and cilium formation. A centrosome consists of a pair of centrioles surrounded by a protein network of pericentriolar material (PCM) that is essential for the centrosome's function. In this study, we show that Sas-4 provides a scaffold for cytoplasmic complexes (named S-CAP), which include CNN, Asl and D-PLP, proteins that are all found in the centrosomes at the vicinity of the centriole. When Sas-4 is absent, nascent procentrioles are unstable and lack PCM, and functional centrosomes are not generated. When Sas-4 is mutated, so that it cannot form S-CAP complexes, centrosomes are present but with dramatically reduced levels of PCM. Finally, purified S-CAP complexes or recombinant Sas-4 can bind centrosomes stripped of PCM, whereas recombinant CNN or Asl cannot. In summary, PCM assembly begins in the cytosol where Sas-4 provides a scaffold for pre-assembled cytoplasmic complexes before tethering of the complexes in a centrosome.

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Contributors

Author: Vito Mennella

Author: Andrew H Smith

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