Noncore components of the fission yeast gamma-tubulin complex

Relatively little is known about the in vivo function of individual components of the eukaryotic gamma-tubulin complex (gamma-TuC). We identified three genes, gfh1+, mod21+, and mod22+, in a screen for fission yeast mutants affecting microtubule organization. gfh1+ is a previously characterized gamma-TuC protein weakly similar to human gamma-TuC subunit GCP4, whereas mod21+ is novel and shows weak similarity to human gamma-TuC subunit GCP5. We show that mod21p is a bona fide gamma-TuC protein and that, like gfh1Delta mutants, mod21Delta mutants are viable. We find that gfh1Delta and mod21Delta mutants have qualitatively normal microtubule nucleation from all types of microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs) in vivo but quantitatively reduced nucleation from interphase MTOCs, and this is exacerbated by mutations in mod22+. Simultaneous deletion of gfh1p, mod21p, and alp16p, a third nonessential gamma-TuC protein, does not lead to additive defects, suggesting that all three proteins contribute to a single function. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments suggest that gfh1p and alp16p are codependent for association with a small "core" gamma-TuC, whereas mod21p is more peripherally associated, and that gfh1p and mod21p may form a subcomplex independently of the small gamma-TuC. Interestingly, sucrose gradient analysis suggests that the major form of the gamma-TuC in fission yeast may be a small complex. We propose that gfh1p, mod21p, and alp16 act as facultative "noncore" components of the fission yeast gamma-TuC and enhance its microtubule-nucleating ability.