Toward elucidating mechanisms of centriole formation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Cilium-centrosome system regulating biosignal flows
• Project/Area Number: 24113003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: KITAGAWA DAIJU 国立遺伝学研究所, 分子遺伝研究系, 教授 (80605725)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Shiratsuchi Gen 国立遺伝学研究所, 分子遺伝研究系, 博士研究員 (80625533) ; Yoshiba Satoko 国立遺伝学研究所, 分子遺伝研究系, 助教 (70642213)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-06-28 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞分裂 / 中心体 / 中心小体複製 / 細胞生物学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mechanisms of centrosome duplication have been a long-standing mystery in biology and represent an important open question in biology. Like the genetic material, centrosome duplication occurs once per cell cycle, such that the two resulting centrosomes assemble a bipolar spindle during mitosis, ensuring proper chromosome segregation. We established a molecular basis for the onset of centriole formation by demonstrating that direct association of STIL with Plk4 and subsequent STIL phosphorylation by Plk4 lead to centriolar loading of HsSAS-6 for centriolar cartwheel assembly in human cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated a “swift negative feedback” that the coordinated action of the three key factors can trigger the onset of procentriole formation and, concurrently, ensure formation of a single procentriole per parental centriole. We also demonstrated a mechanism regulating the conversion from premature daughter centrioles to functional mother centrioles in human cells.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学