RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 CENP-F couples cargo to growing and shortening microtubule ends JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 083618 DO 10.1101/083618 A1 Gil Kanfer A1 Martin Peterka A1 Vladimir K. Arzhanik A1 Alexei L. Drobyshev A1 Fazly I. Ataullakhanov A1 Vladimir A. Volkov A1 BenoƮt Kornmann YR 2016 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/10/26/083618.abstract AB Dynamic microtubule ends exert pulling and pushing forces on intracellular membranes and organelles. However, the mechanical linkage of microtubule tips to their cargoes is poorly understood. CENP-F is a non-motor microtubule-binding protein that participates in microtubule binding at kinetochores and in the mitotic redistribution of the mitochondrial network. CENP-F-driven mitochondrial transport is linked to growing microtubule tips, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that CENP-F tracks growing microtubule ends in living cells. In vitro reconstitution demonstrates that microtubule tips can transport mitochondria and CENP-F-coated artificial cargoes over micrometer-long distances, during both growing and shrinking phases. Based on these and previous observations, we suggest that CENP-F might act as a transporter of mitochondria and other cellular cargoes by attaching them to dynamic microtubule ends.