@article{GrafeHofmannBatsiosetal.2020,
  author    = {Grafe, Marianne and Hofmann, Phillip and Batsios, Petros and Meyer, Irene and Gr{\"a}f, Ralph},
  title     = {In vivo assembly of a Dictyostelium lamin mutant induced by light, mechanical stress, and pH},
  series = {Cells : open access journal},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Cells : open access journal},
  number    = {8},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4409},
  doi       = {10.3390/cells9081834},
  pages     = {14},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {We expressedDictyosteliumlamin (NE81) lacking both a functional nuclear localization signal and a CAAX-box for C-terminal lipid modification. This lamin mutant assembled into supramolecular, three-dimensional clusters in the cytosol that disassembled at the onset of mitosis and re-assembled in late telophase, thus mimicking the behavior of the endogenous protein. As disassembly is regulated by CDK1-mediated phosphorylation at serine 122, we generated a phosphomimetic S122E mutant called GFP-NE81-S122E-Delta NLS Delta CLIM. Surprisingly, during imaging, the fusion protein assembled into cytosolic clusters, similar to the protein lacking the phosphomimetic mutation. Clusters disassembled again in the darkness. Assembly could be induced with blue but not green or near ultraviolet light, and it was independent of the fusion tag. Assembly similarly occurred upon cell flattening. Earlier reports and own observations suggested that both blue light and cell flattening could result in a decrease of intracellular pH. Indeed, keeping the cells at low pH also reversibly induced cluster formation. Our results indicate that lamin assembly can be induced by various stress factors and that these are transduced via intracellular acidification. Although these effects have been shown in a phosphomimetic CDK1 mutant of theDictyosteliumlamin, they are likely relevant also for wild-type lamin.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KoonceTikhonenkoGraef2020,
  author    = {Koonce, Michael and Tikhonenko, Irina and Gr{\"a}f, Ralph},
  title     = {Dictyostelium cell fixation},
  series = {Methods and protocols},
  volume    = {3},
  journal   = {Methods and protocols},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2409-9279},
  doi       = {10.3390/mps3030047},
  pages     = {6},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {We share two simple modifications to enhance the fixation and imaging of relatively small, motile, and rounded model cells. These include cell centrifugation and the addition of trace amounts of glutaraldehyde to existing fixation methods. Though they need to be carefully considered in each context, they have been useful to our studies of the spatial relationships of the microtubule cytoskeletal system.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{PitzenAskarzadaGraefetal.2018,
  author    = {Pitzen, Valentin and Askarzada, Sophie and Gr{\"a}f, Ralph and Meyer, Irene},
  title     = {CDK5RAP2 Is an Essential Scaffolding Protein of the Corona of the Dictyostelium Centrosome},
  series = {Cells},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Cells},
  number    = {4},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4409},
  doi       = {10.3390/cells7040032},
  pages     = {17},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Dictyostelium centrosomes consist of a nucleus-associated cylindrical, three-layered core structure surrounded by a corona consisting of microtubule-nucleation complexes embedded in a scaffold of large coiled-coil proteins. One of them is the conserved CDK5RAP2 protein. Here we focus on the role of Dictyostelium CDK5RAP2 for maintenance of centrosome integrity, its interaction partners and its dynamic behavior during interphase and mitosis. GFP-CDK5RAP2 is present at the centrosome during the entire cell cycle except from a short period during prophase, correlating with the normal dissociation of the corona at this stage. RNAi depletion of CDK5RAP2 results in complete disorganization of centrosomes and microtubules suggesting that CDK5RAP2 is required for organization of the corona and its association to the core structure. This is in line with the observation that overexpressed GFP-CDK5RAP2 elicited supernumerary cytosolic MTOCs. The phenotype of CDK5RAP2 depletion was very reminiscent of that observed upon depletion of CP148, another scaffolding protein of the corona. BioID interaction assays revealed an interaction of CDK5RAP2 not only with the corona markers CP148, gamma-tubulin, and CP248, but also with the core components Cep192, CP75, and CP91. Furthermore, protein localization studies in both depletion strains revealed that CP148 and CDK5RAP2 cooperate in corona organization.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GraefGrafeMeyeretal.2021,
  author    = {Gr{\"a}f, Ralph and Grafe, Marianne and Meyer, Irene and Mitic, Kristina and Pitzen, Valentin},
  title     = {The dictyostelium centrosome},
  series = {Cells : open access journal},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Cells : open access journal},
  number    = {10},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4409},
  doi       = {10.3390/cells10102657},
  pages     = {26},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The centrosome of Dictyostelium amoebae contains no centrioles and consists of a cylindrical layered core structure surrounded by a corona harboring microtubule-nucleating gamma-tubulin complexes. It is the major centrosomal model beyond animals and yeasts. Proteomics, protein interaction studies by BioID and superresolution microscopy methods led to considerable progress in our understanding of the composition, structure and function of this centrosome type. We discuss all currently known components of the Dictyostelium centrosome in comparison to other centrosomes of animals and yeasts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{PitzenSanderBaumannetal.2021,
  author    = {Pitzen, Valentin and Sander, Sophia and Baumann, Otto and Gr{\"a}f, Ralph and Meyer, Irene},
  title     = {Cep192, a novel missing link between the centrosomal core and corona in Dictyostelium amoebae},
  series = {Cells : open access journal},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Cells : open access journal},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4409},
  doi       = {10.3390/cells10092384},
  pages     = {19},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The Dictyostelium centrosome is a nucleus-associated body with a diameter of approx. 500 nm. It contains no centrioles but consists of a cylindrical layered core structure surrounded by a microtubule-nucleating corona. At the onset of mitosis, the corona disassembles and the core structure duplicates through growth, splitting, and reorganization of the outer core layers. During the last decades our research group has characterized the majority of the 42 known centrosomal proteins. In this work we focus on the conserved, previously uncharacterized Cep192 protein. We use superresolution expansion microscopy (ExM) to show that Cep192 is a component of the outer core layers. Furthermore, ExM with centrosomal marker proteins nicely mirrored all ultrastructurally known centrosomal substructures. Furthermore, we improved the proximity-dependent biotin identification assay (BioID) by adapting the biotinylase BioID2 for expression in Dictyostelium and applying a knock-in strategy for the expression of BioID2-tagged centrosomal fusion proteins. Thus, we were able to identify various centrosomal Cep192 interaction partners, including CDK5RAP2, which was previously allocated to the inner corona structure, and several core components. Studies employing overexpression of GFP-Cep192 as well as depletion of endogenous Cep192 revealed that Cep192 is a key protein for the recruitment of corona components during centrosome biogenesis and is required to maintain a stable corona structure.},
  language  = {en}
}