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Development (Cambridge, England) Jan 2024Cilia are microtubule (MT)-based organelles present on the surface of nearly all vertebrate cells. MTs are polymers of α- and β-tubulins that are each encoded by...
Cilia are microtubule (MT)-based organelles present on the surface of nearly all vertebrate cells. MTs are polymers of α- and β-tubulins that are each encoded by multiple, individual isotype genes. Tubulin isotype composition is thought to influence MT behaviors. Ciliary MTs differ from other MTs in the cell in terms of organization, stability and post-translational modifications. However, little is known about the tubulin isotypes that build ciliary MTs and the functional requirements for tubulin isotypes in cilia have not been examined in vertebrates. Here, we have tested the role of the β-tubulin isotype genes in the mouse that harbor a conserved amino acid motif associated with ciliated organisms. We found that Tubb4b localizes to cilia in multi-ciliated cells (MCCs) specifically. In respiratory and oviduct MCCs, Tubb4b is asymmetrically localized within multi-cilia, indicating that the tubulin isotype composition changes along the length of the ciliary axonemal MTs. Deletion of Tubb4b resulted in striking structural defects within the axonemes of multi-cilia, without affecting primary cilia. These studies show that Tubb4b is essential for the formation of a specific MT-based subcellular organelle and sheds light on the requirements of tubulin isotypes in cilia.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Axoneme; Cilia; Microtubules; Protein Processing, Post-Translational; Tubulin
PubMed: 38031972
DOI: 10.1242/dev.201819 -
Biomolecules Jul 2022Hsp90 is a ubiquitous molecular chaperone involved in many cell signaling pathways, and its interactions with specific chaperones and cochaperones determines which... (Review)
Review
Hsp90 is a ubiquitous molecular chaperone involved in many cell signaling pathways, and its interactions with specific chaperones and cochaperones determines which client proteins to fold. Hsp90 has been shown to be involved in the promotion and maintenance of proper protein complex assembly either alone or in association with other chaperones such as the R2TP chaperone complex. Hsp90-R2TP acts through several mechanisms, such as by controlling the transcription of protein complex subunits, stabilizing protein subcomplexes before their incorporation into the entire complex, and by recruiting adaptors that facilitate complex assembly. Despite its many roles in protein complex assembly, detailed mechanisms of how Hsp90-R2TP assembles protein complexes have yet to be determined, with most findings restricted to proteomic analyses and in vitro interactions. This review will discuss our current understanding of the function of Hsp90-R2TP in the assembly, stabilization, and activity of the following seven classes of protein complexes: L7Ae snoRNPs, spliceosome snRNPs, RNA polymerases, PIKKs, MRN, TSC, and axonemal dynein arms.
Topics: Axonemal Dyneins; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Molecular Chaperones; Protein Binding; Proteomics
PubMed: 36008939
DOI: 10.3390/biom12081045 -
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.) Mar 2024The axoneme is an intricate nanomachine responsible for generating the propulsive oscillations of cilia and flagella in an astonishing variety of organisms. New imaging...
The axoneme is an intricate nanomachine responsible for generating the propulsive oscillations of cilia and flagella in an astonishing variety of organisms. New imaging techniques based on cryoelectron-tomography (cryo-ET) and subtomogram averaging have revealed the detailed structures of the axoneme and its components with sub-nm resolution, but the mechanical function of each component and how the assembly generates oscillations remains stubbornly unclear. Most explanations of oscillatory behavior rely on the dynamic regulation of dynein by some signal, but this may not be necessary if the system of dynein-driven slender filaments is dynamically unstable. Understanding the possibility of instability-driven oscillations requires a multifilament model of the axoneme that accounts for distortions of the axoneme as it bends. Active bending requires forces and bending moments that will tend to change the spacing and alignment of doublets. We hypothesize that components of the axoneme resist and respond to these loads in ways that are critical to beating. Specifically, we propose (i) that radial spokes provide torsional stiffness by resisting misalignment (as well as spacing) between the central pair and outer doublets, and (ii) that the kinematics of dynein arms affect the relationships between active forces and bending moments on deforming doublets. These proposed relationships enhance the ability of theoretical, multifilament models of axonemal beating to generate propulsive oscillatory waveforms via dynamic mechanical instability.
PubMed: 38546291
DOI: 10.1002/cm.21856 -
Microbial Cell (Graz, Austria) Sep 2020Cilia and flagella are slender projections found on most eukaryotic cells including unicellular organisms such as and where they serve motility and signaling... (Review)
Review
Cilia and flagella are slender projections found on most eukaryotic cells including unicellular organisms such as and where they serve motility and signaling functions. The cilium is a large molecular machine consisting of hundreds of different proteins that are trafficked into the organelle to organize a repetitive microtubule-based axoneme. Several recent studies took advantage of improved cryo-EM methodology to unravel the high-resolution structures of ciliary complexes. These include the recently reported purification and structure determination of axonemal doublet microtubules from the green algae , which allows for the modeling of more than 30 associated protein factors to provide deep molecular insight into the architecture and repetitive nature of doublet microtubules. In addition, we will review several recent contributions that dissect the structure and function of ciliary trafficking complexes that ferry structural and signaling components between the cell body and the cilium organelle.
PubMed: 33150161
DOI: 10.15698/mic2020.11.734 -
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.) Mar 2021Motile cilia (also interchangeably called "flagella") are conserved organelles extending from the surface of many animal cells and play essential functions in... (Review)
Review
Motile cilia (also interchangeably called "flagella") are conserved organelles extending from the surface of many animal cells and play essential functions in eukaryotes, including cell motility and environmental sensing. Large motor complexes, the ciliary dyneins, are present on ciliary outer-doublet microtubules and drive movement of cilia. Ciliary dyneins are classified into two general types: the outer dynein arms (ODAs) and the inner dynein arms (IDAs). While ODAs are important for generation of force and regulation of ciliary beat frequency, IDAs are essential for control of the size and shape of the bend, features collectively referred to as waveform. Also, recent studies have revealed unexpected links between IDA components and human diseases. In spite of their importance, studies on IDAs have been difficult since they are very complex and composed for several types of IDA motors, each unique in composition and location in the axoneme. Thanks in part to genetic, biochemical, and structural analysis of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we are beginning to understand the organization and function of the ciliary IDAs. In this review, we summarize the composition of Chlamydomonas IDAs particularly focusing on each subunit, and discuss the assembly, conservation, and functional role(s) of these IDA subunits. Furthermore, we raise several additional questions/challenges regarding IDAs, and discuss future perspectives of IDA studies.
Topics: Animals; Axoneme; Chlamydomonas; Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Cilia; Dyneins; Flagella; Humans; Mutation
PubMed: 33876572
DOI: 10.1002/cm.21662 -
Journal of Cell Science Feb 2024The primary cilium is an antenna-like projection from the plasma membrane that serves as a sensor of the extracellular environment and a crucial signaling hub. Primary... (Review)
Review
The primary cilium is an antenna-like projection from the plasma membrane that serves as a sensor of the extracellular environment and a crucial signaling hub. Primary cilia are generated in most mammalian cells, and their physiological significance is highlighted by the large number of severe developmental disorders or ciliopathies that occur when primary ciliogenesis is impaired. Primary ciliogenesis is a tightly regulated process, and a central early regulatory step is the removal of a key mother centriole capping protein, CP110 (also known as CCP110). This uncapping allows vesicles docked on the distal appendages of the mother centriole to fuse to form a ciliary vesicle, which is bent into a ciliary sheath as the microtubule-based axoneme grows and extends from the mother centriole. When the mother centriole migrates toward the plasma membrane, the ciliary sheath fuses with the plasma membrane to form the primary cilium. In this Review, we outline key early steps of primary ciliogenesis, focusing on several novel mechanisms for removal of CP110. We also highlight examples of ciliopathies caused by genetic variants that encode key proteins involved in the early steps of ciliogenesis.
Topics: Animals; Axoneme; Cell Membrane; Centrioles; Ciliopathies; Cytoplasmic Vesicles; Mammals
PubMed: 38415788
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261579 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2020Microtubules can be detected in light microscopes, but the limited resolution of these instruments means that the polymers appear as lines whose width is defined by the...
Microtubules can be detected in light microscopes, but the limited resolution of these instruments means that the polymers appear as lines whose width is defined by the diffraction of light. Much important work on microtubule dynamics has been accomplished by light microscopy, but the details of microtubule end structure are not accessible in such studies. Slight variations in fluorescence intensity, etc. have been used to comment on the structure of dynamic ends, and the combination of light microscopy with laser tweezers has provided insight into aspects of microtubule elongation. However, for views that reveal structural details of the pathways for microtubule growth and shortening, electron microscopy has been of great value. Here, we describe methods for using electron microscopes to look at the ends of microtubules as they grow and shrink, both in vivo and in vitro. The key problems to be overcome for ultrastructural study of microtubule dynamics are those of reliable sample preparation. Dynamic microtubules are labile and can therefore be modified by preparative methods. Our chapter follows the premise that rapid freezing, which converts sample water into vitreous ice, is the best approach for sample preparation. Therefore, all of the methods described involve finding optimal conditions for sample vitrification, and then getting the frozen sample into a form suitable for electron microscopy. We also posit that the end of a microtubule must be considered in three dimensions, so we employ electron tomography as a way to get the necessary information. The methods described for the study of microtubules in cells employ rapid freezing, freeze-substitution fixation, plastic embedding, serial sectioning, and tomography of stained samples. The methods for following microtubule growth in vitro employ sample preparation on holy grids, blotting, and plunge-freezing, followed by electron cryo-tomography. Quantification of structure from both approaches is accomplished by segmentation and analysis of graphic models.
Topics: Axoneme; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Microscopy, Electron; Microtubules; Neurons; Protein Binding; Protein Multimerization; Tubulin
PubMed: 31879906
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0219-5_13 -
Cells Feb 2024Dynein, an ancient microtubule-based motor protein, performs diverse cellular functions in nearly all eukaryotic cells, with the exception of land plants. It has evolved... (Review)
Review
Dynein, an ancient microtubule-based motor protein, performs diverse cellular functions in nearly all eukaryotic cells, with the exception of land plants. It has evolved into three subfamilies-cytoplasmic dynein-1, cytoplasmic dynein-2, and axonemal dyneins-each differentiated by their cellular functions. These megadalton complexes consist of multiple subunits, with the heavy chain being the largest subunit that generates motion and force along microtubules by converting the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work. Beyond this catalytic core, the functionality of dynein is significantly enhanced by numerous non-catalytic subunits. These subunits are integral to the complex, contributing to its stability, regulating its enzymatic activities, targeting it to specific cellular locations, and mediating its interactions with other cofactors. The diversity of non-catalytic subunits expands dynein's cellular roles, enabling it to perform critical tasks despite the conservation of its heavy chains. In this review, we discuss recent findings and insights regarding these non-catalytic subunits.
Topics: Cytoplasmic Dyneins; Catalytic Domain; Dyneins
PubMed: 38391943
DOI: 10.3390/cells13040330 -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2022Cilia are ubiquitous and highly conserved extensions that endow the cell with motility and sensory functions. They were present in the first eukaryotes and conserved... (Review)
Review
Cilia are ubiquitous and highly conserved extensions that endow the cell with motility and sensory functions. They were present in the first eukaryotes and conserved throughout evolution (Carvalho-Santos et al., 2011). has around 4,000 motile cilia on its surface arranged in longitudinal rows, beating in waves to ensure movement and feeding. As with cilia in other model organisms, direction and speed of ciliary beating is under bioelectric control of ciliary ion channels. In multiciliated cells of metazoans as well as paramecia, the cilia become physically entrained to beat in metachronal waves. This ciliated organism, , is an attractive model for multidisciplinary approaches to dissect the location, structure and function of ciliary ion channels and other proteins involved in ciliary beating. Swimming behavior also can be a read-out of the role of cilia in sensory signal transduction. A cilium emanates from a BB, structurally equivalent to the centriole anchored at the cell surface, and elongates an axoneme composed of microtubule doublets enclosed in a ciliary membrane contiguous with the plasma membrane. The connection between the BB and the axoneme constitutes the transition zone, which serves as a diffusion barrier between the intracellular space and the cilium, defining the ciliary compartment. Human pathologies affecting cilia structure or function, are called ciliopathies, which are caused by gene mutations. For that reason, the molecular mechanisms and structural aspects of cilia assembly and function are actively studied using a variety of model systems, ranging from unicellular organisms to metazoa. In this review, we will highlight the use of as a model to decipher ciliary beating mechanisms as well as high resolution insights into BB structure and anchoring. We will show that study of cilia in promotes our understanding of cilia formation and function. In addition, we demonstrate that could be a useful tool to validate candidate genes for ciliopathies.
PubMed: 35359441
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.847908 -
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.) May 2024In this review, we provide a condensed overview of what is currently known about the mechanical functioning of the flagellar/ciliary axoneme. We also present a list of... (Review)
Review
In this review, we provide a condensed overview of what is currently known about the mechanical functioning of the flagellar/ciliary axoneme. We also present a list of 10 specific areas where our current knowledge is incomplete and explain the benefits of further experimental investigation. Many of the physical parameters of the axoneme and its component parts have not been determined. This limits our ability to understand how the axoneme structure contributes to its functioning in several regards. It restricts our ability to understand how the mechanics of the structure contribute to the regulation of motor function. It also confines our ability to understand the three-dimensional workings of the axoneme and how various beating modes are accomplished. Lastly, it prevents accurate computational modeling of the axoneme in three-dimensions.
PubMed: 38780123
DOI: 10.1002/cm.21879