A perinuclear microtubule-organizing centre controls nuclear positioning and basement membrane secretion

Non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing centres (ncMTOCs) have a variety of roles that are presumed to serve the diverse functions of the range of cell types in which they are found. ncMTOCs are diverse in their composition, subcellular localization and function. Here we report a perinuclear MTOC in Drosophila fat body cells that is anchored by the Nesprin homologue Msp300 at the cytoplasmic surface of the nucleus. Msp300 recruits the microtubule minus-end protein Patronin, a calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein (CAMSAP) homologue, which functions redundantly with Ninein to further recruit the microtubule polymerase Msps—a member of the XMAP215 family—to assemble non-centrosomal microtubules and does so independently of the widespread microtubule nucleation factor γ-Tubulin. Functionally, the fat body ncMTOC and the radial microtubule arrays that it organizes are essential for nuclear positioning and for secretion of basement membrane components via retrograde dynein-dependent endosomal trafficking that restricts plasma membrane growth. Together, this study identifies a perinuclear ncMTOC with unique architecture that regulates microtubules, serving vital functions. Zheng et al. discover a type of perinuclear microtubule-organizing center, which is assembled by multiple factors and regulates retrograde endosomal trafficking and plasma membrane growth.