Deciphering Vimentin-Microtubule interactions in cell polarity

Vimentin intermediate filaments (IF) and the centrosome are a critical part of the cell cytoskeleton, a complex active network that directs many cellular functions. Recent studies have shown that centrosome positioning is critical for directional cell movement. On the other hand, loss of vimentin IF increases cell motility and directional persistence in microfluidic channels. These studies indicate both vimentin and centrosome are associated with directional cell migration but their interactions are widely unknown. Using wild-type and vimentin- null mice embryonic fibroblast (mEF), we found that vimentin null cells exhibit lower expression of the centrosome protein CEP215 compared to wild-type cells. Furthermore, nocodazole washout experiments show that loss of vimentin disrupts microtubule re-nucleation from the centrosome. Together, our result suggests that vimentin impacts microtubule nucleation from the centrosome, which has important implications for proper cytoskeletal organization and persistent motion of cells.