Centrosomal proteins CG-NAP and kendrin provide microtubule nucleation sites by anchoring γ-tubulin ring complex

M Takahashi, A Yamagiwa, T Nishimura… - Molecular biology of …, 2002 - Am Soc Cell Biol
M Takahashi, A Yamagiwa, T Nishimura, H Mukai, Y Ono
Molecular biology of the cell, 2002Am Soc Cell Biol
Microtubule assembly is initiated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). In yeast, the
microtubule is nucleated from γ-TuRC anchored to the amino-terminus of the spindle pole
body component Spc110p, which interacts with calmodulin (Cmd1p) at the carboxy-
terminus. However, mammalian protein that anchors γ-TuRC remains to be elucidated. A
giant coiled-coil protein, CG-NAP (c entrosome and G olgi localized PK Na ssociated p
rotein), was localized to the centrosome via the carboxyl-terminal region. This region was …
Microtubule assembly is initiated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). In yeast, the microtubule is nucleated from γ-TuRC anchored to the amino-terminus of the spindle pole body component Spc110p, which interacts with calmodulin (Cmd1p) at the carboxy-terminus. However, mammalian protein that anchors γ-TuRC remains to be elucidated. A giant coiled-coil protein, CG-NAP (centrosome and Golgi localized PKN-associated protein), was localized to the centrosome via the carboxyl-terminal region. This region was found to interact with calmodulin by yeast two-hybrid screening, and it shares high homology with the carboxyl-terminal region of another centrosomal coiled-coil protein, kendrin. The amino-terminal region of either CG-NAP or kendrin indirectly associated with γ-tubulin through binding with γ-tubulin complex protein 2 (GCP2) and/or GCP3. Furthermore, endogenous CG-NAP and kendrin were coimmunoprecipitated with each other and with endogenous GCP2 and γ-tubulin, suggesting that CG-NAP and kendrin form complexes and interact with γ-TuRC in vivo. These proteins were localized to the center of microtubule asters nucleated from isolated centrosomes. Pretreatment of the centrosomes by antibody to CG-NAP or kendrin moderately inhibited the microtubule nucleation; moreover, the combination of these antibodies resulted in stronger inhibition. These results imply that CG-NAP and kendrin provide sites for microtubule nucleation in the mammalian centrosome by anchoring γ-TuRC.
Am Soc Cell Biol