An in vivo examination of Dynein-Cargo complex formation

Long-range intracellular transport relies on microtubule motors. This process is particularly important in large cells such as neurons and oocytes. While transport towards the plus-end of microtubules utilizes many kinesins, minus-end transport is largely mediated by a single motor, cytoplasmic dynein. Activation of dynein requires the large dynactin complex as well as a cargo adaptor. How dynein, dynactin, and adaptors assemble in vivo, particularly within specialized tissues such as the Drosophila egg chamber remains unclear. In the current study, we defined the dynein interactome in Drosophila egg chambers using in vivo proximity biotin ligation. Our findings suggest that Bicaudal-D (BicD) is the principal adaptor responsible for activating dynein and linking it with cargo in this tissue. We also identified Centrocortin (Cen) as a dynein adaptor in egg chambers. However, unlike BicD, loss of Cen did not affect dynein localization or apparent activation. To more specifically analyze adaptor-dependent assembly and cargo transport, we examined dynein light intermediate chain (Dlic) mutants known to impair adaptor binding. As expected, these mutants disrupted the BicD-dynein interaction. However, Cen remained associated with the dynein/dynactin complex in the mutant background, suggesting that Cen engages the motor by a different mechanism. Finally, live imaging of microtubules revealed that even when adaptor binding is compromised, dynein-driven microtubule gliding can still deliver nurse cell-derived cargo into the oocyte, albeit with reduced efficiency. Collectively, our results reveal multiple, mechanistically distinct routes for adaptor association with dynein in vivo and indicate that redundant processes can sustain cargo transport during oogenesis.