Centrosome migration and apical membrane formation during epithelial polarization in MDCK cysts.

Centrosome migration and apical membrane formation are hierarchically related but can occur independently during epithelial polarization in MDCK cysts, with centrosome positioning influenced by Par3.

• Why it matters: Understanding the mechanisms of epithelial polarization is essential for insights into tissue organization and function, yet the dependencies among key polarity features remain unclear.
• What they did: The study manipulated centrosomes and polarity regulators in MDCK cells cultured in Matrigel and suspension, examining their roles in centrosome positioning and apical membrane formation through perturbation experiments.
• The result: Findings reveal that centrosomal microtubules are not essential for centrosome positioning or apical membrane formation, but their absence impairs efficiency, highlighting that centrosome-based polarity is not universal in epithelial cells.