Conserved TCP domain of Sas-4/CPAP is essential for pericentriolar material tethering during centrosome biogenesis

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jan 21;111(3):E354-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1317535111. Epub 2014 Jan 2.

Abstract

Pericentriolar material (PCM) recruitment to centrioles forms a key step in centrosome biogenesis. Deregulation of this process leads to centrosome aberrations causing disorders, one of which is autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH), a neurodevelopmental disorder where brain size is reduced. During PCM recruitment, the conserved centrosomal protein Sas-4/CPAP/MCPH6, known to play a role in centriole formation, acts as a scaffold for cytoplasmic PCM complexes to bind and then tethers them to centrioles to form functional centrosomes. To understand Sas-4's tethering role, we determined the crystal structure of its T complex protein 10 (TCP) domain displaying a solvent-exposed single-layer of β-sheets fold. This unique feature of the TCP domain suggests that it could provide an "extended surface-like" platform to tether the Sas-4-PCM scaffold to a centriole. Functional studies in Drosophila, human cells, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells were used to test this hypothesis, where point mutations within the 9-10th β-strands (β9-10 mutants including a MCPH-associated mutation) perturbed PCM tethering while allowing Sas-4/CPAP to scaffold cytoplasmic PCM complexes. Specifically, the Sas-4 β9-10 mutants displayed perturbed interactions with Ana2, a centrosome duplication factor, and Bld-10, a centriole microtubule-binding protein, suggesting a role for the β9-10 surface in mediating protein-protein interactions for efficient Sas-4-PCM scaffold centriole tethering. Hence, we provide possible insights into how centrosomal protein defects result in human MCPH and how Sas-4 proteins act as a vehicle to tether PCM complexes to centrioles independent of its well-known role in centriole duplication.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Brain / pathology
  • Centrioles / metabolism*
  • Centrosome / metabolism*
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Male
  • Microcephaly / genetics
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Models, Molecular
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Testis / metabolism

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Sas-4 protein, Drosophila

Supplementary concepts

  • Microcephaly, Primary Autosomal Recessive, 6

Associated data

  • PDB/4MPZ