SAS-4 is a C. elegans centriolar protein that controls centrosome size.
Centrosomes consist of a centriole pair surrounded by pericentriolar material (PCM). Previous work suggested that centrioles are required to organize PCM to form a structurally stable organelle. Here, we characterize SAS-4, a centriole component in Caenorhabditis elegans. Like tubulin, SAS-4 is incorporated into centrioles during their duplication and remains stably associated thereafter. In the absence of SAS-4, centriole duplication fails. Partial depletion of SAS-4 results in structurally defective centrioles that contain reduced levels of SAS-4 and organize proportionally less PCM. Thus, SAS-4 is a centriole-associated component whose amount dictates centrosome size. These results provide novel insight into the poorly understood role of centrioles as centrosomal organizers.
Kirkham
Matthew
M
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
Müller-Reichert
Thomas
T
Oegema
Karen
K
Grill
Stephan
S
Hyman
Anthony A
AA
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002502:Centrioles / Q000378:metabolism*; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008938:Mitosis; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D013997:Time Factors; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C472409:SAS-4 protein, C elegans; D014404:Tubulin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins