The Centrosome, a Multitalented Renaissance Organelle

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The centrosome acts as a microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) from the G 1 to G 2 phases of the cell cycle; it can mature into a spindle pole during mitosis and/or transition into a cilium by elongating microtubules (MTs) from the basal body on cell differentiation or cell cycle arrest. New studies hint that the centrosome functions in more than MT organization. For instance, it has recently been shown that a specific substructure of the centrosome-the mother centriole appendages-are required for the recycling of endosomes back to the plasma membrane. This alone could have important implications for a renaissance in our understanding of the development of primary cilia, endosome recycling, and the immune response. Here, we review newly identified roles for the centrosome in directing membrane traffic, the immunological synapse, and the stress response. Outline 1 Introduction: Centrosomes-Small but not simple 2 The constantly evolving role of the centrosome throughout the cell cycle 3 MT-organizing center and spindle poles 4 Basal body 5 Loss of centrosome or cilia function leads to ciliopathies 6 The endocytic recycling machinery interacts directly with the centrosome and plays a role in cilia formation and the cell cycle 7 The centrosome as a stress sensor 8 Can the centrosome discriminate between different types of stress? 9 Centrosomes in the immune response 10 Maintaining centrosome integrity requires chaperone machinery 11 Conclusion