Myosin-Va is required for preciliary vesicle transportation to the mother centriole during ciliogenesis

• Published in: Nature cell biology Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 175 - 185
• Main Authors: Wu, Chien-Ting, Chen, Hsin-Yi, Tang, Tang K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/19; 631/80/128/1276; 631/80/128/1383; 631/80/128/1653; 631/80/128/1675; Actin; Appendages; Biological transport; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cancer Research; Cell Biology; Cellular signal transduction; Centrioles; Cilia; Developmental Biology; Docking; Dynein; Life Sciences; Microtubules; Muscle proteins; Myosin; Signal transduction; Stem Cells; Transportation; Vesicles
• ISSN: 1465-7392; 1476-4679
• DOI: 10.1038/s41556-017-0018-7

Primary cilia play essential roles in signal transduction and development. The docking of preciliary vesicles at the distal appendages of a mother centriole is an initial/critical step of ciliogenesis, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that myosin-Va mediates the transportation of preciliary vesicles to the mother centriole and reveal the underlying mechanism. We also show that the myosin-Va-mediated transportation of preciliary vesicles is the earliest event that defines the onset of ciliogenesis. Depletion of myosin-Va significantly inhibits the attachment of preciliary vesicles to the distal appendages of the mother centriole and decreases cilia assembly. Myosin-Va functions upstream of EHD1- and Rab11-mediated ciliary vesicle formation. Importantly, dynein mediates myosin-Va-associated preciliary vesicle transportation to the pericentrosomal region along microtubules, while myosin-Va mediates preciliary vesicle transportation from the pericentrosomal region to the distal appendages of the mother centriole via the Arp2/3-associated branched actin network. Wu et al. show that myosin-Va is needed for the initiation of primary cilia formation by transporting preciliary vesicles to the distal appendages of the mother centriole in a manner dependent on both microtubules and centrosomal actin.