So called microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) are not "organizing centers". They don't control their position (network center), nor MT orientation, length and shape (network shape). The actual organizers are MTs, molecular motors and regulators of MT +ends. MTOCs nucleate MTs.
Let's rename MTOCs.
Let's rename MTOCs.
November 27, 2025 at 8:47 AM
So called microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) are not "organizing centers". They don't control their position (network center), nor MT orientation, length and shape (network shape). The actual organizers are MTs, molecular motors and regulators of MT +ends. MTOCs nucleate MTs.
Let's rename MTOCs.
Let's rename MTOCs.
Using expansion microscopy, we re-examined MT organization and mapped PTMs in the human airway multiciliated cells during differentiation. Basal bodies seem to serve the role of main MTOCs (2/N)
September 5, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Using expansion microscopy, we re-examined MT organization and mapped PTMs in the human airway multiciliated cells during differentiation. Basal bodies seem to serve the role of main MTOCs (2/N)
Muñoz-Hernández, Xu, et al. @mike-wieczorek.bsky.social @ethz.ch report #cryoEM structures revealing how NEDD1’s C terminus forms an α-helical tetramer that docks onto the γ-TuRC without inducing major conformational changes in the complex during its recruitment to MTOCs rupress.org/jcb/article/...
May 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Muñoz-Hernández, Xu, et al. @mike-wieczorek.bsky.social @ethz.ch report #cryoEM structures revealing how NEDD1’s C terminus forms an α-helical tetramer that docks onto the γ-TuRC without inducing major conformational changes in the complex during its recruitment to MTOCs rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#Microtubule nucleation is the critical first step in building microtubule networks. This #FREE access #review in #CYTOSKELETON explores how noncentrosomal MTOCs control nucleation, cell polarity, morphology & cell division. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
August 31, 2026 at 2:37 AM
#Microtubule nucleation is the critical first step in building microtubule networks. This #FREE access #review in #CYTOSKELETON explores how noncentrosomal MTOCs control nucleation, cell polarity, morphology & cell division. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Using #UExM, we could finally see the MT network. Two populations:
Cortical MTs=from MTOCs to the cortex, spacing nuclei evenly
Furrow-tracking MTs=elongating with the ingressing membrane.
Cortical MTs=from MTOCs to the cortex, spacing nuclei evenly
Furrow-tracking MTs=elongating with the ingressing membrane.
February 17, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Using #UExM, we could finally see the MT network. Two populations:
Cortical MTs=from MTOCs to the cortex, spacing nuclei evenly
Furrow-tracking MTs=elongating with the ingressing membrane.
Cortical MTs=from MTOCs to the cortex, spacing nuclei evenly
Furrow-tracking MTs=elongating with the ingressing membrane.
A quick digest :
#Cellularization runs on two separable modules:
🧭 MTs + #MTOCs → spatial patterning (where furrows go)
⚙️ #Actomyosin + membranes→ mechanical ingression (how furrows grow)
Disrupt either one and the process breaks — but in different ways.
#Cellularization runs on two separable modules:
🧭 MTs + #MTOCs → spatial patterning (where furrows go)
⚙️ #Actomyosin + membranes→ mechanical ingression (how furrows grow)
Disrupt either one and the process breaks — but in different ways.
February 17, 2026 at 1:02 PM
A quick digest :
#Cellularization runs on two separable modules:
🧭 MTs + #MTOCs → spatial patterning (where furrows go)
⚙️ #Actomyosin + membranes→ mechanical ingression (how furrows grow)
Disrupt either one and the process breaks — but in different ways.
#Cellularization runs on two separable modules:
🧭 MTs + #MTOCs → spatial patterning (where furrows go)
⚙️ #Actomyosin + membranes→ mechanical ingression (how furrows grow)
Disrupt either one and the process breaks — but in different ways.
New work on ARK1 (AURKB?) in Plasmodium (malaria parasite) with @ritatewari.bsky.social and Pushkar Sharma. CPC in Plasmodium is (ofcourse..) different compared to conventional models: two INCENPs, no borealin/survivin - mainly at spindle microtubules/MTOCs. Special thanks to @ryanase.bsky.social!
Pleased to share our new preprint: "Plasmodium ARK1 regulates spindle formation during atypical mitosis and forms a divergent chromosomal passenger complex". Many thanks to our collaborators.
@ritatewari.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social @davidguttery.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@ritatewari.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social @davidguttery.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 31, 2025 at 12:26 PM
New work on ARK1 (AURKB?) in Plasmodium (malaria parasite) with @ritatewari.bsky.social and Pushkar Sharma. CPC in Plasmodium is (ofcourse..) different compared to conventional models: two INCENPs, no borealin/survivin - mainly at spindle microtubules/MTOCs. Special thanks to @ryanase.bsky.social!
We all wonder whether this mechanism is active in cells.
I am convinced it is. I even think the architectures we know in cells are actually these stars and bands we saw in vitro. MTOCs can't guide the entire network. Let's figure out the role played by motors.
I am convinced it is. I even think the architectures we know in cells are actually these stars and bands we saw in vitro. MTOCs can't guide the entire network. Let's figure out the role played by motors.
November 27, 2024 at 1:42 PM
We all wonder whether this mechanism is active in cells.
I am convinced it is. I even think the architectures we know in cells are actually these stars and bands we saw in vitro. MTOCs can't guide the entire network. Let's figure out the role played by motors.
I am convinced it is. I even think the architectures we know in cells are actually these stars and bands we saw in vitro. MTOCs can't guide the entire network. Let's figure out the role played by motors.
Thanks to the Gigant lab for writing this insightful spotlight that discusses our recent work on how NEDD1 binds to and might recruit the γ-TuRC to MTOCs:
Paumier, Sauvanet, Gigant @mikicalab.bsky.social highlight work from Muñoz-Hernández, Xu et al @mike-wieczorek.bsky.social (rupress.org/jcb/article/...) which describes new insight into the means by which NEDD1 protein recruits the γ-TuRC to microtubule-organizing centers rupress.org/jcb/article/...
July 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Thanks to the Gigant lab for writing this insightful spotlight that discusses our recent work on how NEDD1 binds to and might recruit the γ-TuRC to MTOCs:
Hongzhe Peng, Runyu Qiao, Bo Dong and colleagues discover that asymmetrical MTOCs drive posterior positioning of nuclei in Ciona notochord development. journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
July 16, 2026 at 10:55 AM
Hongzhe Peng, Runyu Qiao, Bo Dong and colleagues discover that asymmetrical MTOCs drive posterior positioning of nuclei in Ciona notochord development. journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
Non canonical Sun1-Allan complex orchestrates nuclear envelope remodelling and Basal Body/MTOC Segregation during rapid mitosis in Plasmodium
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Non canonical Sun1-Allan complex orchestrates nuclear envelope remodelling and Basal Body/MTOC Segregation during rapid mitosis in Plasmodium
Mitosis in eukaryotes involves reorganization of the nuclear envelope (NE) and microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). In Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, male gametogenesis features an exc...
www.biorxiv.org
December 5, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Non canonical Sun1-Allan complex orchestrates nuclear envelope remodelling and Basal Body/MTOC Segregation during rapid mitosis in Plasmodium
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Well if MTs are the vasculature, then centrosomes/MTOCs would be the heart? But what’s the blood in that case? If blood is actually streaming fluid i.e. cytoplasm, in which case the cytoskeleton would be what drives that so really actin would be the vasculature
January 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Well if MTs are the vasculature, then centrosomes/MTOCs would be the heart? But what’s the blood in that case? If blood is actually streaming fluid i.e. cytoplasm, in which case the cytoskeleton would be what drives that so really actin would be the vasculature
Excited to share our latest work led by our talented PhD student @ejsm9.bsky.social We show that Myosins X/VIIb localize F-actin to the spindle&MTOCs in oocytes. With photoswitchable Optojasp, we reveal that spindle/MTOC-localized F-actin drives spindle pole focusing &accurate chromosome segregation
Spindle-localized F-actin regulates polar MTOC organization and the fidelity of meiotic spindle formation - Nature Communications
Errors in oocyte division can cause infertility and birth defects. Here, authors combine a genetic strategy with a novel optochemical tool to show that spindle pole-localized F-actin is essential for ...
www.nature.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Excited to share our latest work led by our talented PhD student @ejsm9.bsky.social We show that Myosins X/VIIb localize F-actin to the spindle&MTOCs in oocytes. With photoswitchable Optojasp, we reveal that spindle/MTOC-localized F-actin drives spindle pole focusing &accurate chromosome segregation
Spindle-localized F-actin regulates polar MTOC organization and the fidelity of meiotic spindle formation
- nice work showing that an F-actin cage-like structure surrounding oocytes polar MTOCs relies on MYO10 and MYO7B.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- nice work showing that an F-actin cage-like structure surrounding oocytes polar MTOCs relies on MYO10 and MYO7B.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Spindle-localized F-actin regulates polar MTOC organization and the fidelity of meiotic spindle formation - Nature Communications
Errors in oocyte division can cause infertility and birth defects. Here, authors combine a genetic strategy with a novel optochemical tool to show that spindle pole-localized F-actin is essential for ...
www.nature.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Spindle-localized F-actin regulates polar MTOC organization and the fidelity of meiotic spindle formation
- nice work showing that an F-actin cage-like structure surrounding oocytes polar MTOCs relies on MYO10 and MYO7B.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
- nice work showing that an F-actin cage-like structure surrounding oocytes polar MTOCs relies on MYO10 and MYO7B.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Dr. Basto recaps and discusses in this N&Vs www.nature.com/articles/s41... two very interesting TRIM37-mTOCs papers recently out @natsmb.nature.com, by the labs of Prof. Holland www.nature.com/articles/s41... and Prof. Oegema and Desai www.nature.com/articles/s41...
TRIMming centrosomal assemblies - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
Centrosomal protein assemblies can lead to mitotic spindle dysfunction and abnormal cell division. Two studies published in this issue unveil the molecular choreography orchestrated by TRIM37 in block...
www.nature.com
May 27, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Dr. Basto recaps and discusses in this N&Vs www.nature.com/articles/s41... two very interesting TRIM37-mTOCs papers recently out @natsmb.nature.com, by the labs of Prof. Holland www.nature.com/articles/s41... and Prof. Oegema and Desai www.nature.com/articles/s41...
RRIDs were included in this paper. We value the author's support of reproducibility. #RRID #accelerateopenscience #OpenScience
Tubulin autoregulation factors SCAPER and TTC5 recruit γ-tubulin to non-centrosomal MTOCs for neuronal microtubule nucleation and axon regeneration
doi.org
October 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
RRIDs were included in this paper. We value the author's support of reproducibility. #RRID #accelerateopenscience #OpenScience
MT shape and orientation in what sense? Nucleators at MTOCs determine protofilament number and therefore impact MT shape. MT polarity as a consequence of nucleation, shapes and orients MTs as long as they remain anchored, wouldn‘t it?
November 28, 2025 at 10:43 AM
MT shape and orientation in what sense? Nucleators at MTOCs determine protofilament number and therefore impact MT shape. MT polarity as a consequence of nucleation, shapes and orients MTs as long as they remain anchored, wouldn‘t it?
Surprisingly, broken centrosome parts form more than one microtubule-organising centre #MTOC within a single cell
These functional MTOCs #compete during path decisions, thereby delaying pathfinding, and thus causing #entanglement of cells with broken centrosomes in the extracellular #matrix
(4/6)
These functional MTOCs #compete during path decisions, thereby delaying pathfinding, and thus causing #entanglement of cells with broken centrosomes in the extracellular #matrix
(4/6)
April 28, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Surprisingly, broken centrosome parts form more than one microtubule-organising centre #MTOC within a single cell
These functional MTOCs #compete during path decisions, thereby delaying pathfinding, and thus causing #entanglement of cells with broken centrosomes in the extracellular #matrix
(4/6)
These functional MTOCs #compete during path decisions, thereby delaying pathfinding, and thus causing #entanglement of cells with broken centrosomes in the extracellular #matrix
(4/6)
It does not only nucleate, it also anchors minus ends. This determines microtubule orientation (all minus ends at MTOC, all plus ends away from it). Because of this, modulating the shape and distribution of the MTOCs, also controls the overall shape of the network.
November 28, 2025 at 7:53 AM
It does not only nucleate, it also anchors minus ends. This determines microtubule orientation (all minus ends at MTOC, all plus ends away from it). Because of this, modulating the shape and distribution of the MTOCs, also controls the overall shape of the network.
Original article here: www.cell.com/current-biol...
Meteora sporadica, a protist with incredible cell architecture, is related to Hemimastigophora
Eglit et al. show that the bizarre protist Meteora has its waving arms and long axis
supported by microtubules originating from an array of unique subnuclear MTOCs. Phylogenomic
analyses place Meteora...
www.cell.com
July 10, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Original article here: www.cell.com/current-biol...
You mean when only centromes are lost? Yes, because of the Golgi MTOC. The Rios lab paper actually showed it first, check Fig 7 - centrinone + AKAP450 KO destroys both centrosome and Golgi MTOC, and MTs become disorganized, clearly different from WT. www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
The dual role of the centrosome in organizing the microtubule network in interphase | EMBO reports
image image During interphase, microtubules can be generated from a variety of microtubule‐organizing
centers (MTOCs) the activity of which is regulated in a hierarchical manner. The centrosome (CTR)...
www.embopress.org
November 29, 2025 at 8:26 PM
You mean when only centromes are lost? Yes, because of the Golgi MTOC. The Rios lab paper actually showed it first, check Fig 7 - centrinone + AKAP450 KO destroys both centrosome and Golgi MTOC, and MTs become disorganized, clearly different from WT. www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
A novel SUN1-ALLAN complex coordinates segregation of the bipartite MTOC across the nuclear envelope during rapid closed mitosis in Plasmodium
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A novel SUN1-ALLAN complex coordinates segregation of the bipartite MTOC across the nuclear envelope during rapid closed mitosis in Plasmodium
Mitosis in eukaryotes involves reorganization of the nuclear envelope (NE) and microtubule-organizing centres (MTOCs). During male gametogenesis in Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, mitosis ...
www.biorxiv.org
February 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
A novel SUN1-ALLAN complex coordinates segregation of the bipartite MTOC across the nuclear envelope during rapid closed mitosis in Plasmodium
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
KATANIN-mediated microtubule severing is required for MTOC formation and function in Marchantia polymorpha https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.04.574198v1
KATANIN-mediated microtubule severing is required for MTOC formation and function in Marchantia polymorpha https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.04.574198v1
Microtubule organising centres (MTOCs) are sites of localised microtubule nucleation in eukaryotic c
www.biorxiv.org
January 5, 2024 at 1:05 AM
KATANIN-mediated microtubule severing is required for MTOC formation and function in Marchantia polymorpha https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.04.574198v1
Tubulin autoregulation factors SCAPER and TTC5 recruit γ-tubulin to non-centrosomal MTOCs for neuronal microtubule nucleation and axon regeneration #SingleCell 🧪🧬🖥️
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.13.682208v1
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.13.682208v1
October 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Tubulin autoregulation factors SCAPER and TTC5 recruit γ-tubulin to non-centrosomal MTOCs for neuronal microtubule nucleation and axon regeneration #SingleCell 🧪🧬🖥️
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.13.682208v1
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.13.682208v1
Yes, very well deduced, and correct. I do not have MTOCs directly tagged in this cell line, but I know from fixed cell imaging that the region you refer to is the centrosome/basal body
November 24, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Yes, very well deduced, and correct. I do not have MTOCs directly tagged in this cell line, but I know from fixed cell imaging that the region you refer to is the centrosome/basal body