Rsp1p, a J domain protein required for disassembly and assembly of microtubule organizing centers during the fission yeast cell cycle.

Regulation of microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) orchestrates the reorganization of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, an equatorial MTOC (eMTOC) at the cell division site disassembles after cytokinesis, and multiple interphase MTOCs (iMTOCs) appear on the nucleus. Here, we show that, upon eMTOC disassembly, small satellites carrying MTOC components such as the gamma-tubulin complex travel in both directions along interphase MTs. We identify rsp1p, an MTOC protein required for eMTOC disassembly. In rsp1 loss-of-function mutants, the eMTOC persists and organizes an abnormal microtubule aster, while iMTOCs and satellites are greatly reduced. Conversely, rsp1p overexpression inhibits eMTOC formation. Rsp1p is a J domain protein that interacts with an hsp70. Thus, our findings suggest a model in which rsp1p is part of a chaperone-based mechanism that disassembles the eMTOC into satellites, contributing to the dynamic redistribution of MTOC components for organization of interphase microtubules.