Centrosomes in fertilization, early embryonic development, stem cell division, and cancer

Abstract

The centrosome, located at the cell center, is the main microtubule organizing center (MTOC) of the cell. In interphase, it assembles microtubules that are then anchored with their minus ends at the centrosome. Since microtubules (MTs) build the cellular framework for the positioning of cell organelles, the centrosome is important for the whole cellular architecture. In mitotic cells, the centrosome plays a central role in organizing the mitotic spindle to correctly separate the chromosomes. Aberrant centrosomes are often associated with aneuploidy and tumorigenesis. In animal cells the centrosome consists of a pair of centrioles surrounded by the pericentriolar material (PCM). Intrinsic proteins of the centrosome are mostly characterized by their overall coiled-coil structure, but otherwise lack specific domains. Additionally, a lot of proteins show a cell cycle dependent association with the centrosome leading to the assumption, that the centrosome might orchestrate cell cycle progression. In non-cycling cells, the centrosome is transformed into the basal body to generate a primary cilium, a cellular organelle that has long been neglected. Nowadays, the importance of primary cilia for signal transduction and cell homeostasis is widely acknowledged as indicated by the constantly growing list of cilia dependent diseases. The centrosome thus is an essential organelle in most animal cells affecting cell shape, cell cycle progression, and the cellular response to environmental cues