Abstract

The centrosome is a key mediator of several essential functions in animal cells. Because of its importance, it has been extensively studied for more than a century. However, centriolar satellites its close neighbours are a relatively new addition to the inventory of cell compartments and not much is known about them. They are small dot-like structures made of proteins that can walk at astonishing speeds along microtubules, the cell’s structural elements. Their journey ends in very close proximity to the centrosome, where they accumulate. In my talk, I will show how some newly identified components of centriolar satellites are involved in specific cellular functions. I will also present an innovative molecular tool for the study of centriolar satellites at different stages of the life of a cell.