Nudel contributes to microtubule anchoring at the mother centriole and is involved in both dynein-dependent and -independent centrosomal protein assembly

The centrosome is the major microtubule-organizing center in animal cells. Although the cytoplasmic dynein regulator Nudel interacts with centrosomes, its role herein remains unclear. Here, we show that in Cos7 cells Nudel is a mother centriole protein with rapid turnover independent of dynein activity. During centriole duplication, Nudel targets to the new mother centriole later than ninein but earlier than dynactin. Its centrosome localization requires a C-terminal region that is essential for associations with dynein, dynactin, pericentriolar material (PCM)-1, pericentrin, and gamma-tubulin. Overexpression of a mutant Nudel lacking this region, a treatment previously shown to inactivate dynein, dislocates centrosomal Lis1, dynactin, and PCM-1, with little influence on pericentrin and gamma-tubulin in Cos7 and HeLa cells. Silencing Nudel in HeLa cells markedly decreases centrosomal targeting of all the aforementioned proteins. Silencing Nudel also represses centrosomal MT nucleation and anchoring. Furthermore, Nudel can interact with pericentrin independently of dynein. Our current results suggest that Nudel plays a role in both dynein-mediated centripetal transport of dynactin, Lis1, and PCM-1 as well as in dynein-independent centrosomal targeting of pericentrin and gamma-tubulin. Moreover, Nudel seems to tether dynactin and dynein to the mother centriole for MT anchoring.