Fibrogranular materials function as organizers to ensure the fidelity of multiciliary assembly

Abstract

Multicilia are delicate motile machineries, and how they are accurately assembled is poorly understood. Here, we show that fibrogranular materials (FGMs), large arrays of electron-dense granules specific to multiciliated cells, are essential for their ultrastructural fidelity. Pcm1 forms the granular units that further network into widespread FGMs, which are abundant in spherical FGM cores. FGM cores selectively concentrate multiple important centriole-related proteins as clients, including Cep131 that specifically decorates a foot region of ciliary central pair (CP) microtubules. FGMs also tightly contact deuterosome-procentriole complexes. Disruption of FGMs in mouse cells undergoing multiciliogenesis by Pcm1 RNAi markedly deregulates centriolar targeting of FGM clients, elongates CP-foot, and alters deuterosome size, number, and distribution. Although the multicilia are produced in correct numbers, they display abnormal ultrastructure and motility. Our results suggest that FGMs organize deuterosomes and centriole-related proteins to facilitate the faithful assembly of basal bodies and multiciliary axonemes.