Structures of SAS-6 suggest its organization in centrioles

Science. 2011 Mar 4;331(6021):1196-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1199325. Epub 2011 Jan 27.

Abstract

Centrioles are cylindrical, ninefold symmetrical structures with peripheral triplet microtubules strictly required to template cilia and flagella. The highly conserved protein SAS-6 constitutes the center of the cartwheel assembly that scaffolds centrioles early in their biogenesis. We determined the x-ray structure of the amino-terminal domain of SAS-6 from zebrafish, and we show that recombinant SAS-6 self-associates in vitro into assemblies that resemble cartwheel centers. Point mutations are consistent with the notion that centriole formation in vivo depends on the interactions that define the self-assemblies observed here. Thus, these interactions are probably essential to the structural organization of cartwheel centers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Centrioles / chemistry*
  • Centrioles / metabolism
  • Centrioles / ultrastructure
  • Centrosome / metabolism
  • Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / chemistry
  • Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / metabolism
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / chemistry*
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Flagella / metabolism
  • Flagella / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutant Proteins / chemistry
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Zebrafish
  • Zebrafish Proteins / chemistry*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • SASS6 protein, human
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • sass6 protein, zebrafish

Associated data

  • PDB/2Y3V
  • PDB/2Y3W