NOCA-1 Functions with γ-tubulin and in parallel to Patronin to assemble non-centrosomal microtubule arrays in C. elegans
- University of California, San Diego, United States
- 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.
Article and author information
Author details
Reviewing Editor
- Anna Akhmanova, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Publication history
- Received: May 11, 2015
- Accepted: September 12, 2015
- Accepted Manuscript published: September 15, 2015 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: October 16, 2015 (version 2)
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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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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