The Nuclear Pore Complex Facilitates Centriole-Nuclear Attachment in Spermatids

Proper connection between the sperm head and tail is critical for fertility and is mediated by the head-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA). Recent evidence suggests that the nuclear pore complex (NPC) may be important in male fertility, though a specific role at the HTCA has not been described. To investigate this, we performed a testis-specific RNAi screen targeting nucleoporins of the NPC. We identified Nup133 and Nup107 as regulators of HTCA development. We found that Nup133 and Nup107 were required to form the initial connection between the nucleus and centriole during HTCA establishment. We determined that failure to build the HTCA following Nup133 and Nup107 depletion was due to loss of nuclear envelope dynein/dynactin. Finally, we showed that loss of the NPC cytoplasmic filament component Nup358 results in the most severe centriole detachment phenotype, thus potentially functioning as the dynein anchor. Together, our data indicate that NPCs are critical regulators of early HTCA establishment and are required to recruit dynein to the nuclear envelope to bring the nucleus and centriole together during spermiogenesis.