Key role of vimentin in the organization of the primary cilium

Abstract

We previously reported the presence of the intermediate filament vimentin at the primary cilium of lung cancer epithelial cells. In this study we further demonstrate that vimentin is intimately intertwined with acetylated tubulin at this structure. Interestingly, although vimentin can be detected along the whole length of the primary cilium, phospho-serine 56 vimentin is found particularly enriched at its basal region in A549 lung cancer cells. Vimentin appears to play a pivotal role in ciliogenesis, since its depletion in MEF or in A549 cells results in a lower proportion of cells displaying primary cilia and recognizable basal bodies. Furthermore, the detectable cilia in vimentin depleted cells are shorter. In addition, the centriolar structure appears disrupted in vimentin deficient cells, as indicated by an abnormal distribution of {gamma}- and acetylated tubulin. Moreover, these cells display a defective organization of the pericentriolar material, characterized by a marked decrease in the levels of pericentrin and a diffuse distribution of Rab11. Taken together, our results show that vimentin is present at the primary cilium and suggest that it plays an important role in cilium structure and biogenesis, since its depletion leads to marked morphological defects and altered organization of key elements of this structure.