De novo centriole formation in human cells is error-prone and does not require SAS-6 self-assembly

Elife. 2015 Nov 26:4:e10586. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10586.

Abstract

Vertebrate centrioles normally propagate through duplication, but in the absence of preexisting centrioles, de novo synthesis can occur. Consistently, centriole formation is thought to strictly rely on self-assembly, involving self-oligomerization of the centriolar protein SAS-6. Here, through reconstitution of de novo synthesis in human cells, we surprisingly found that normal looking centrioles capable of duplication and ciliation can arise in the absence of SAS-6 self-oligomerization. Moreover, whereas canonically duplicated centrioles always form correctly, de novo centrioles are prone to structural errors, even in the presence of SAS-6 self-oligomerization. These results indicate that centriole biogenesis does not strictly depend on SAS-6 self-assembly, and may require preexisting centrioles to ensure structural accuracy, fundamentally deviating from the current paradigm.

Keywords: SAS-6; cartwheel; cell biology; centriole; centrosome; cilia; human; self-assembly.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Centrioles / metabolism*
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Organelle Biogenesis*
  • Protein Multimerization*

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • SASS6 protein, human