Centrosomes are major microtubule-organizing centers in eukaryotic cells and play a critical role in embryonic development and asymmetric cell division. Centrosomes comprise a pair of centrioles surrounded by an amorphous proteinaceous meshwork called the pericentriolar material (PCM). Robust deposition of PCM around the centrioles is essential for a centrosome to achieve full microtubule nucleating potential. Despite the wealth of information on PCM composition and function, the mechanism and regulation of PCM assembly have been difficult to ascertain, due in part to the lack of an in vitro system. Here, we describe methods to establish an in vitro system to study PCM assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans. Specifically, we describe (1) how to express and purify the C. elegans PCM proteins SPD-5, SPD-2, and PLK-1 from baculovirus-infected insect cells, (2) how to assemble these proteins into PCM-like structures in vitro, and (3) how to quantify this assembly process in a semiautomated fashion.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.mcb.2015.04.006 | DOI Listing |
Sci Adv
January 2025
MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics and Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
Microtubule assembly takes place at the centrosome and noncentrosomal microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). However, the mechanisms controlling the activity of noncentrosomal MTOCs are poorly understood. Here, using the fission yeast as a model organism, we demonstrate that the kinesin-14 motor Klp2 interacts with the J-domain Hsp70/Ssa1 cochaperone Rsp1, an inhibitory factor of microtubule assembly, and that Klp2 is required for the proper localization of Rsp1 to microtubules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChromosome Res
January 2025
Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA.
Little is known about how distance between homologous chromosomes are controlled during the cell cycle. Here, we show that the distribution of centromere components display two discrete clusters placed to either side of the centrosome and apical/basal axis from prophase to G interphase. 4-Dimensional live cell imaging analysis of centromere and centrosome tracking reveals that centromeres oscillate largely within one cluster, but do not cross over to the other cluster.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirology
December 2024
Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Products, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, 450046, China. Electronic address:
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection causes reproductive failure and respiratory distress and is a serious threat to the swine industry, given its continuous and rapid emergence. The knowledge of viral-host interaction could facilitate anti-PRRSV drug development. HnRNP A1 is an abundantly expressed protein which associates with RNA metabolic processes and plays multifarious roles during the reproduction cycle of multiple viruses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Oncol
December 2024
Department of Tumor Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu 431-3192, Japan.
STIL is a regulatory protein essential for centriole biogenesis, and its dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases, including malignancies. However, its role in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains unclear. In this study, we examined STIL expression and its potential association with chromosomal numerical abnormalities (CNAs) in NSCLC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, immunohistochemical analysis, and in vitro experiments with NSCLC cell lines designed to overexpress STIL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDev Cell
December 2024
Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, EMBL, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address:
Centrosomes organize microtubules that are essential for mitotic divisions in animal cells. They consist of centrioles surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM). Questions related to mechanisms of centriole assembly, PCM organization, and spindle microtubule formation remain unanswered, partly due to limited availability of molecular-resolution structural data inside cells.
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