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Team Publications
Systems Biology of Cell Polarity and Cell Division
Year of publication 2002
Miguel Abal, Matthieu Piel, Veronique Bouckson-Castaing, Mette Mogensen, Jean-Baptiste
Sibarita, Michel Bornens (2002 Dec 11)
Microtubule release from the centrosome in migrating cells.
The Journal of cell biology : 731-7
Summary
In migrating cells, force production relies essentially on a polarized actomyosin system,
whereas the spatial regulation of actomyosin contraction and substrate contact turnover
involves a complex cooperation between the microtubule (MT) and the actin filament
networks (Goode, B.L., D.G. Drubin, and G. Barnes. 2000. Curr. Opin. Cell Biol., 12:63-71).
Targeting and capture of MT plus ends at the cell periphery has been described, but whether
or not the minus ends of these MTs are anchored at the centrosome is not known. Here, we
show that release of short MTs from the centrosome is frequent in migrating cells and that
their transport toward the cell periphery is blocked when dynein activity is impaired. We
further show that MT release, but not MT nucleation or polymerization dynamics, is abolished
by overexpression of the centrosomal MT-anchoring protein ninein. In addition, a dramatic
inhibition of cell migration was observed; but, contrary to cells treated by drugs inhibiting MT
dynamics, polarized membrane ruffling activity was not affected in ninein overexpressing
cells. We thus propose that the balance between MT minus-end capture and release from the
centrosome is critical for efficient cell migration.
Véronique Chevrier, Matthieu Piel, Nora Collomb, Yasmina Saoudi, Ronald Frank, Michel
Paintrand, Shuh Narumiya, Michel Bornens, Didier Job (2002 May 30)
The Rho-associated protein kinase p160ROCK is required for centrosome
positioning.
The Journal of cell biology : 807-17
Summary
The p160-Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) is identified as a new
centrosomal component. Using immunofluorescence with a variety of p160ROCK antibodies,
immuno EM, and depletion with RNA interference, p160ROCK is principally bound to the
mother centriole (MC) and an intercentriolar linker. Inhibition of p160ROCK provoked
centrosome splitting in G1 with the MC, which is normally positioned at the cell center and
shows little motion during G1, displaying wide excursions around the cell periphery, similar
to its migration toward the midbody during cytokinesis. p160ROCK inhibition late after
anaphase in mitosis triggered MC migration to the midbody followed by completion of cell
division. Thus, p160ROCK is required for centrosome positioning and centrosome-dependent
exit from mitosis.
Michel Bornens, Matthieu Piel (2002 Jan 31)
INSTITUT CURIE, 20 rue d’Ulm, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France | 1
Team Publications
Systems Biology of Cell Polarity and Cell Division
Centrosome inheritance: birthright or the privilege of maturity?
Current biology : CB : R71-3
Summary
Budding yeast cells exhibit a defined mode of centrosome inheritance–the ‘old’ spindle pole
body always segregates into the bud. But it is the astral microtubule-cortex interaction which
matters for controlling the asymmetric localization of Bfa1p/Bub2 at spindle pole bodies.
Year of publication 2001
M Piel, J Nordberg, U Euteneuer, M Bornens (2001 Feb 27)
Centrosome-dependent exit of cytokinesis in animal cells.
Science (New York, N.Y.) : 1550-3
Summary
As an organelle coupling nuclear and cytoplasmic divisions, the centrosome is essential to
mitotic fidelity, and its inheritance could be critical to understanding cell transformation.
Investigating the behavior of the centrosome in living mitotic cells, we documented a
transient and remarkable postanaphase repositioning of this organelle, which apparently
controls the release of central microtubules from the midbody and the completion of cell
division. We also observed that the absence of the centrosome leads to defects in
cytokinesis. Together with recent results in yeasts, our data point to a conserved
centrosome-dependent pathway that integrates spatial controls into the decision of
completing cell division, which requires the repositioning of the centrosome organelle.
INSTITUT CURIE, 20 rue d’Ulm, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France | 2