title: Pericentrin, a highly conserved centrosome protein involved in microtubule organization.
abstract: Antisera from scleroderma patients that react widely with centrosomes in plants and animals were used to isolate cDNAs encoding a novel centrosomal protein. The nucleotide sequence is consistent with a 7 kb mRNA and contains an open reading frame encoding a protein with a putative large coiled-coil domain flanked by noncoiled ends. Antisera recognize a 220 kd protein and stain centrosomes and acentriolar microtubule-organizing centers, where the protein is localized to the pericentriolar material (hence, the name pericentrin). Anti-pericentrin antibodies disrupt mitotic and meiotic divisions in vivo and block microtubule aster formation in Xenopus extracts, but do not block gamma-tubulin assembly or microtubule nucleation from mature centrosomes. These results suggest that pericentrin is a conserved integral component of the filamentous matrix of the centrosome involved in the initial establishment of organized microtubule arrays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California Medical School, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Doxsey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Calarco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirschner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000502:physiology*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000737:chemistry*; D002502:Centrioles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D001324:Autoantigens; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014404:Tubulin; C086178:pericentrin