DSas-6 and Ana2 Coassemble into Tubules to Promote Centriole Duplication and Engagement

SummaryCentrioles form cilia and centrosomes, organelles whose dysfunction is increasingly linked to human disease. Centriole duplication relies on a few conserved proteins (ZYG-1/Sak/Plk4, SAS-6, SAS-5/Ana2, and SAS-4), and is often initiated by the formation of an inner “cartwheel” structure. Here, we show that overexpressed Drosophila Sas-6 and Ana2 coassemble into extended tubules (SAStubules) that bear a striking structural resemblance to the inner cartwheel of the centriole. SAStubules specifically interact with centriole proximal ends, but extra DSas-6/Ana2 is only recruited onto centrioles when Sak/Plk4 kinase is also overexpressed. This extra centriolar DSas-6/Ana2 induces centriole overduplication and, surprisingly, increased centriole cohesion. Intriguingly, we observe tubules that are structurally similar to SAStubules linking the engaged centrioles in normal wild-type cells. We conclude that DSas-6 and Ana2 normally cooperate to drive the formation of the centriole inner cartwheel and that they promote both centriole duplication and centriole cohesion in a Sak/Plk4-dependent manner.

► DSas-6 and Ana2 overexpression produces tubules resembling centriole cartwheels
► Sak promotes extra DSas-6/Ana2 loading onto centrioles, inducing overduplication
► Extra centriolar DSas-6/Ana2 also leads to increased centriole cohesion
► DSas-6/Ana2 tubules appear to regulate both centriole duplication and cohesion