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Centrioles and Centrosomes

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
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The primary microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in animal cells is the centrosome. A centrosome has two cylindrical centrioles at its core. Each centriole consists of nine sets of three microtubules held together by proteins. The centrioles are positioned at right angles to each other and surrounded by a shapeless protein cloud called the pericentriolar matrix, or pericentriolar material (PCM).
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Published on: September 20, 2013

Origin and evolution of the centrosome.

Michel Bornens¹, Juliette Azimzadeh

¹UMR 144-CNRS-Institut Curie, 75248 Paris 05, France. mbornens@curie.fr

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|November 6, 2007

Summary

The evolution of the centrosome, crucial for cell division, is linked to multicellularity. Metazoans uniquely retained ancestral functions like sensation, motion, and division.

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

The basal body/axoneme in unicellular eukaryotes is a precursor to the centrosome.
Multicellularity evolved through various attempts, influencing organelle evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolution of the centrosome from the basal body/axoneme.
To understand the role of the flagellar-nucleus connection in centrosome evolution.
To explore the coevolution of tubulin and actin networks in multicellularity.

Main Methods:

Review of existing evolutionary and biochemical evidence.
Comparative analysis of centrosome structures across different eukaryotic lineages.
Examination of protein evolution, specifically centrin.

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Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

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Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Imaging Centrosomes in Fly Testes

Published on: September 20, 2013

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Quantitative Immunofluorescence Assay to Measure the Variation in Protein Levels at Centrosomes

Published on: December 20, 2014

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Immunofluorescence Analysis of Endogenous and Exogenous Centromere-kinetochore Proteins

Published on: March 3, 2016

Main Results:

The connection between the flagellar apparatus and the nucleus was critical for diverse centrosome/related structures.
Centrin protein evolution may mirror the evolution of the flagellar-nucleus connection.
Coevolution of centrosome-based tubulin and actin networks impacted cell individuation.

Conclusions:

Metazoans uniquely maintained the ancestral basal body/axoneme functions (sensation, motion, division) in their centrosome.
This retention was key to their successful evolution of multicellularity.
Other lineages evolved different strategies, including loss of the centrosome (seed plants).