NOCA-1 Functions with γ-tubulin and in parallel to Patronin to assemble non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in C. elegans

  1. Shaohe Wang
  2. Di Wu
  3. Sophie Quintin
  4. Rebecca A Green
  5. Dhanya K Cheerambathur
  6. Stacy D Ochoa
  7. Arshad Desai
  8. Karen Oegema  Is a corresponding author
  1. University of California, San Diego, United States
  2. Université de Strasbourg, France

Abstract

Non-centrosomal microtubule arrays assemble in differentiated tissues to perform mechanical and transport-based functions. Here, we identify C. elegans NOCA-1 as a protein with homology to vertebrate ninein. NOCA-1 contributes to the assembly of non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in multiple tissues. In the larval epidermis, NOCA-1 functions redundantly with the minus end protection factor Patronin/PTRN-1 to assemble a circumferential microtubule array essential for worm growth and morphogenesis. Controlled degradation of a γ-tubulin complex subunit in this tissue revealed that γ-tubulin acts with NOCA-1 in parallel to Patronin/PTRN-1. In the germline, NOCA-1 and γ-tubulin co-localize at the cell surface, and inhibiting either leads to a microtubule assembly defect. γ-tubulin targets independently of NOCA-1, but NOCA-1 targeting requires γ-tubulin when a non-essential putatively palmitoylated cysteine is mutated. These results show that NOCA-1 acts with γ-tubulin to assemble non-centrosomal arrays in multiple tissues and highlight functional overlap between the ninein and Patronin protein families.

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Author details

  1. Shaohe Wang

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  2. Di Wu

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  3. Sophie Quintin

    Institut Génétique Biologie Moléculaire Ceasllulaire, Faculté de médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  4. Rebecca A Green

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  5. Dhanya K Cheerambathur

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  6. Stacy D Ochoa

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  7. Arshad Desai

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  8. Karen Oegema

    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
    For correspondence
    koegema@ucsd.edu
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Copyright

© 2015, Wang et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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  1. Shaohe Wang
  2. Di Wu
  3. Sophie Quintin
  4. Rebecca A Green
  5. Dhanya K Cheerambathur
  6. Stacy D Ochoa
  7. Arshad Desai
  8. Karen Oegema
(2015)
NOCA-1 Functions with γ-tubulin and in parallel to Patronin to assemble non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in C. elegans
eLife 4:e08649.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08649

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https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08649