Rotational asymmetry is required to position centrioles at the base of the primary cilium
The polarization of motile cilia requires that the centrioles, from which cilia are formed, display rotational asymmetry. This property is manifested in the presence of asymmetrically distributed appendages and relies on evolutionary conserved mechanisms. These mechanisms are also at play in cells that form primary cilia despite the lack of ciliary motility and asymmetric centriole appendages in this context. Here, we find that a complex consisting of CCDC61, KIAA1328 (K1328), and centlein (CNTLN) contributes to the establishment of centriole rotational asymmetry. In cells with a primary cilium, this complex is required for assembling a linker that repositions the daughter centriole close to and orthogonal to the proximal end of the mother centriole/basal body. The CCDC61/K1328/CNTLN complex also triggers the asymmetric recruitment of pericentriolar matrix components around newly assembled centrioles, which likely facilitates the later attachment of the basal body-daughter centriole linker. Overall, our results establish that rotational asymmetry relies on the coordinated recruitment of asymmetric landmarks along centrioles and is necessary for positioning the centrioles in a configuration that is widely conserved in ciliated cells.