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Published 15 September 2003. doi:10.1083/jcb.200305082
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© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2003/9/963 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 162, Number 6, 963-969

Report

 Centrosome positioning in interphase cells

Anton Burakov1,2, Elena Nadezhdina1,2, Boris Slepchenko1 and Vladimir Rodionov1

1 Department of Physiology and Center for Biomedical Imaging Technology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032
2 Moscow State University and Institute for Protein Research, Moscow, Russia

Address correspondence to Vladimir Rodionov, University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Physiology and Center for Biomedical Imaging Technology, 263 Farmington Avenue, MC1507, Farmington, CT 06032-1507. Tel.: (860) 679-1850. Fax: (860) 679-1039. email: rodionov{at}nso.uchc.edu

The position of the centrosome is actively maintained at the cell center, but the mechanisms of the centering force remain largely unknown. It is known that centrosome positioning requires a radial array of cytoplasmic microtubules (MTs) that can exert pushing or pulling forces involving MT dynamics and the activity of cortical MT motors. It has also been suggested that actomyosin can play a direct or indirect role in this process. To examine the centering mechanisms, we introduced an imbalance of forces acting on the centrosome by local application of an inhibitor of MT assembly (nocodazole), and studied the resulting centrosome displacement. Using this approach in combination with microinjection of function-blocking probes, we found that a MT-dependent dynein pulling force plays a key role in the positioning of the centrosome at the cell center, and that other forces applied to the centrosomal MTs, including actomyosin contractility, can contribute to this process.

Key Words: centrosome; microtubules; dynein; actin; nocodazole

The first two authors contributed equally to this work.

The online version of this article includes supplemental material.

Abbreviation used in this paper: MT, microtubule.


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