Protein function and interaction

ODF2 was first identified as a component of sperm tail cytoskeleton (Petersen et al., 1999 PMID: 10381817). ODF2 protein is also a widespread scaffold component of the centrosome matrix, involved in the maturation event of daughter centrioles and required for the formation of primary cilia (Nakagawa et al., 2001 PMID: 11408577 by similarity).

A splicing variant of ODF2, hCenexin1, is a critical centrosomal component required for proper recruitment of Plk1 and other components crucial for normal mitosis (Soung et al., 2006 PMID: 16966375). This interaction and Plk1 activity are important for the recruitment of pericentrin and gamma-tubulin, and, ultimately, for formation of normal bipolar spindles (Soung et al., 2009 PMID: 19386263). Cenexin/ODF2 was shown to interact specifically with Rab8a (Rab GTPase membrane trafficking regulator) and is associated with primary cilia formation (Yoshimura et al., 2007 PMID: 1764640).