Casein kinase I delta controls centrosome positioning during T cell activation

Although termed central body, the centrosome is located off-center in many polarized cells. T cell receptor (TCR) engagement by antigens induces a polarity switch in T cells. This leads to the recruitment of the centrosome to the immunological synapse (IS), a specialized cell-cell junction. Despite much recent progress, how TCR signaling triggers centrosome repositioning remains poorly understood. In this paper, we uncover a critical requirement for the centrosomal casein kinase I delta (CKI delta) in centrosome translocation to the IS. CKI delta binds and phosphorylates the microtubule plus-end-binding protein EB1. Moreover, a putative EB1-binding motif at the C terminus of CKI delta is required for centrosome translocation to the IS. We find that depletion of CKI delta in T lymphocytes and inhibition of CKI in epithelial cells reduce microtubule growth. Therefore, we propose that CKI delta-EB1 complexes contribute to the increase in microtubule growth speeds observed in polarized T cells, a mechanism that might serve to generate long-stable microtubules necessary for centrosome translocation.