Centriole assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans

Nature. 2006 Nov 30;444(7119):619-23. doi: 10.1038/nature05318.

Abstract

Centrioles are necessary for flagella and cilia formation, cytokinesis, cell-cycle control and centrosome organization/spindle assembly. They duplicate once per cell cycle, but the mechanisms underlying their duplication remain unclear. Here we show using electron tomography of staged C. elegans one-cell embryos that daughter centriole assembly begins with the formation and elongation of a central tube followed by the peripheral assembly of nine singlet microtubules. Tube formation and elongation is dependent on the SAS-5 and SAS-6 proteins, whereas the assembly of singlet microtubules onto the central tube depends on SAS-4. We further show that centriole assembly is triggered by an upstream signal mediated by SPD-2 and ZYG-1. These results define a structural pathway for the assembly of a daughter centriole and should have general relevance for future studies on centriole assembly in other organisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / ultrastructure
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / physiology
  • Centrioles / physiology*
  • Centrioles / ultrastructure
  • Female
  • Male
  • Protein Kinases / physiology
  • RNA Interference

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • SPD-2 protein, C elegans
  • Protein Kinases
  • zyg-1 protein, C elegans