Polarized endosome dynamics engage cytosolic Par-3 and dynein during asymmetric division

Asymmetric cell division (ACD), which produces two daughters with different fates, is fundamental for generating cellular diversity. In the developing embryos of both invertebrates and vertebrates, asymmetrically dividing progenitors generate daughter cells with differential activity of Notch signaling 1-7, a key regulator of cell fate decisions 8,9. The cell polarity regulator Par-3 is critical for establishing this Notch asymmetry 1,4,6, but the underlying mechanisms are not understood. Here, employing in vivo time-lapse imaging in the developing zebrafish forebrain during the mitotic cycle of radial glia, the principal vertebrate neural stem cells 10,11, we show that during ACD, endosomes containing the Notch ligand Delta D (Dld) undergo convergent movement toward the cleavage plane, followed by preferential segregation into the posterior (and subsequently basal) Notchhi daughter. This asymmetric segregation requires the activity of Par-3 and the dynein motor complex. Employing label-retention expansion microscopy, we further detect Par-3 in the cytosol in association with the dynein light intermediate chain 1 (DLIC1) on Dld endosomes, suggesting a direct involvement of Par-3 in dynein-mediated polarized transport of Notch signaling endosomes. Our data reveal an unanticipated mechanism by which Par-3 regulates cell fate decision by directly polarizing Notch signaling components during ACD.