hVFL3/CCDC61 is a component of mother centriole subdistal appendages required for centrosome cohesion and positioning

Background The centrosome regulates cell spatial organisation by controlling the architecture of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton. Conversely, the position of the centrosome within the cell depends on cytoskeletal networks it helps organizing. In mammalian cells, centrosome positioning involves a population of MT stably anchored at centrioles, the core components of the centrosome. An MT‐anchoring complex containing the proteins ninein and Cep170 is enriched at subdistal appendages (SAP) that decorate the older centriole (called mother centriole) and at centriole proximal ends. Here, we studied the role played at the centrosome by hVFL3/CCDC61, the human ortholog of proteins required for anchoring distinct sets of cytoskeletal fibres to centrioles in unicellular eukaryotes. Results We show that hVFL3 co‐localises at SAP and at centriole proximal ends with components of the MT‐anchoring complex, and physically interacts with Cep170. Depletion of hVFL3 increased the distance between mother and daughter centrioles without affecting the assembly of a filamentous linker that tethers the centrioles and contains the proteins rootletin and C‐Nap1. When the linker was disrupted by inactivating C‐Nap1, hVFL3‐depletion exacerbated centriole splitting, a phenotype also observed following depletion of other SAP components. This supported that hVFL3 is required for SAP function, which we further established by showing that centrosome positioning is perturbed in hVFL3‐depleted interphase cells. Finally, we found that hVFL3 is an MT‐binding protein. Conclusions and significance Together, our results support that hVFL3 is required for anchoring MT at SAP during interphase and ensuring proper centrosome cohesion and positioning. The role of the VFL3 family of proteins thus appears to have been conserved in evolution despite the great variation in the shape of centriole appendages in different eukaryotic species. Research article: In mammalian cells, the older (mother) centriole within the centrosome carries subdistal appendages (SAP) that serve as anchoring sites for microtubules, and participate in centrosome cohesion and positioning. hVFL3/CCDC61 localises at SAP and interacts with both the SAP component Cep170 and microtubules to regulate microtubule anchorage at SAP. As a consequence, loss of hVFL3 decreases the cohesion between mother and daughter centrioles, and impairs centrosome positioning .