Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.
Science. 2016 Jul 1;353(6294):aaf4866. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf4866. Epub 2016 May 26.
An important feature of fertilization is the asymmetric inheritance of centrioles. In most species it is the sperm that contributes the initial centriole, which builds the first centrosome that is essential for early development. However, given that centrioles are thought to be exceptionally stable structures, the mechanism behind centriole disappearance in the female germ line remains elusive and paradoxical. We elucidated a program for centriole maintenance in fruit flies, led by Polo kinase and the pericentriolar matrix (PCM): The PCM is down-regulated in the female germ line during oogenesis, which results in centriole loss. Perturbing this program prevents centriole loss, leading to abnormal meiotic and mitotic divisions, and thus to female sterility. This mechanism challenges the view that centrioles are intrinsically stable structures and reveals general functions for Polo kinase and the PCM in centriole maintenance. We propose that regulation of this maintenance program is essential for successful sexual reproduction and defines centriole life span in different tissues in homeostasis and disease, thereby shaping the cytoskeleton.
受精的一个重要特征是中心粒的不对称遗传。在大多数物种中，精子提供最初的中心粒，它构建了第一个中心体，这对早期发育至关重要。然而，鉴于中心粒被认为是极其稳定的结构，女性生殖系中中心粒消失的机制仍然难以捉摸和自相矛盾。我们阐明了由 Polo 激酶和中心粒周围基质 (PCM) 驱动的果蝇中心粒维持的程序：在卵子发生过程中，PCM 在雌性生殖系中下调，导致中心粒丢失。扰乱这个程序可以防止中心粒丢失，导致异常减数分裂和有丝分裂分裂，从而导致雌性不育。这种机制挑战了中心粒是内在稳定结构的观点，并揭示了 Polo 激酶和 PCM 在中心粒维持中的一般功能。我们提出，这种维持程序的调节对于成功的有性生殖至关重要，并定义了不同组织中中心粒的寿命在体内平衡和疾病中的稳定性，从而塑造了细胞骨架。
