Robust method for proteome analysis by MS/MS using an entire translated genome: demonstration on the ciliome of Tetrahymena thermophila

A phylogenetic profiling approach identifies novel ciliogenesis genes in Drosophila and C. elegans

Cilia are cellular projections that perform sensory and motile functions in eukaryotic cells. A defining feature of cilia is that they are evolutionarily ancient, yet not universally conserved. In this study, we have used the resulting presence and absence pattern in the genomes of diverse eukaryotes to identify a set of 386 human genes associated with cilium assembly or motility. Comprehensive tissue-specific RNAi in Drosophila and mutant analysis in C. elegans revealed signature ciliary defects for 70-80% of novel genes, a percentage similar to that for known genes within the cluster. Further characterization identified different phenotypic classes, including a set of genes related to the cartwheel component Bld10/CEP135 and two highly conserved regulators of cilium biogenesis. We propose this dataset defines the core set of genes required for cilium assembly and motility across eukaryotes and presents a valuable resource for future studies of cilium biology and associated disorders.

Composition, organization and mechanisms of the transition zone, a gate for the cilium

The cilium evolved to provide the ancestral eukaryote with the ability to move and sense its environment. Acquiring these functions required the compartmentalization of a dynein-based motility apparatus and signaling proteins within a discrete subcellular organelle contiguous with the cytosol. Here, we explore the potential molecular mechanisms for how the proximal-most region of the cilium, termed transition zone (TZ), acts as a diffusion barrier for both membrane and soluble proteins and helps to ensure ciliary autonomy and homeostasis. These include a unique complement and spatial organization of proteins that span from the microtubule-based axoneme to the ciliary membrane; a protein picket fence; a specialized lipid microdomain; differential membrane curvature and thickness; and lastly, a size-selective molecular sieve. In addition, the TZ must be permissive for, and functionally integrates with, ciliary trafficking systems (including intraflagellar transport) that cross the barrier and make the ciliary compartment dynamic. The quest to understand the TZ continues and promises to not only illuminate essential aspects of human cell signaling, physiology, and development, but also to unravel how TZ dysfunction contributes to ciliopathies that affect multiple organ systems, including eyes, kidney, and brain.

PCD Genes-From Patients to Model Organisms and Back to Humans

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a hereditary genetic disorder caused by the lack of motile cilia or the assembxly of dysfunctional ones. This rare human disease affects 1 out of 10,000-20,000 individuals and is caused by mutations in at least 50 genes. The past twenty years brought significant progress in the identification of PCD-causative genes and in our understanding of the connections between causative mutations and ciliary defects observed in affected individuals. These scientific advances have been achieved, among others, due to the extensive motile cilia-related research conducted using several model organisms, ranging from protists to mammals. These are unicellular organisms such as the green alga Chlamydomonas, the parasitic protist Trypanosoma, and free-living ciliates, Tetrahymena and Paramecium, the invertebrate Schmidtea, and vertebrates such as zebrafish, Xenopus, and mouse. Establishing such evolutionarily distant experimental models with different levels of cell or body complexity was possible because both basic motile cilia ultrastructure and protein composition are highly conserved throughout evolution. Here, we characterize model organisms commonly used to study PCD-related genes, highlight their pros and cons, and summarize experimental data collected using these models.

Electron cryo-tomography structure of axonemal doublet microtubule from Tetrahymena thermophila

Doublet microtubules (DMTs) provide a scaffold for axoneme assembly in motile cilia. Aside from α/β tubulins, the DMT comprises a large number of non-tubulin proteins in the luminal wall of DMTs, collectively named the microtubule inner proteins (MIPs). We used cryoET to study axoneme DMT isolated from Tetrahymena We present the structures of DMT at nanometer and sub-nanometer resolution. The structures confirm that MIP RIB72A/B binds to the luminal wall of DMT by multiple DM10 domains. We found FAP115, an MIP-containing multiple EF-hand domains, located at the interface of four-tubulin dimers in the lumen of A-tubule. It contacts both lateral and longitudinal tubulin interfaces and playing a critical role in DMT stability. We observed substantial structure heterogeneity in DMT in an FAP115 knockout strain, showing extensive structural defects beyond the FAP115-binding site. The defects propagate along the axoneme. Finally, by comparing DMT structures from Tetrahymena and Chlamydomonas, we have identified a number of conserved MIPs as well as MIPs that are unique to each organism. This conservation and diversity of the DMT structures might be linked to their specific functions. Our work provides structural insights essential for understanding the roles of MIPs during motile cilium assembly and function, as well as their relationships to human ciliopathies.

An updated SYSCILIA gold standard (SCGSv2) of known ciliary genes, revealing the vast progress that has been made in the cilia research field

Cilia are microtubule-based organelles with important functions in motility and sensation. They contribute to a broad spectrum of developmental disorders called ciliopathies and have recently been linked to common conditions such as cancers and congenital heart disease. There has been increasing interest in the biology of cilia and their contribution to disease over the past two decades. In 2013 we published a "Gold Standard" list of genes confirmed to be associated with cilia. This was published as part of the SYSCILIA consortium for systems biology study dissecting the contribution of cilia to human health and disease, and was named the Syscilia Gold Standard (SCGS). Since this publication, interest in cilia and understanding of their functions have continued to grow, and we now present an updated SCGS version 2. This includes an additional 383 genes, more than doubling the size of SCGSv1. We use this dataset to conduct a review of advances in understanding of cilia biology 2013- 2021 and offer perspectives on the future of cilia research. We hope that this continues to be a useful resource for the cilia community.

The distinctive flagellar proteome of Euglena gracilis illuminates the complexities of protistan flagella adaptation

The eukaryotic flagellum/cilium is a prominent organelle with conserved structure and diverse functions. Euglena gracilis, a photosynthetic and highly adaptable protist, employs its flagella for both locomotion and environmental sensing. Using proteomics of isolated E. gracilis flagella we identify nearly 1700 protein groups, which challenges previous estimates of the protein complexity of motile eukaryotic flagella. We not only identified several unexpected similarities shared with mammalian flagella, including an entire glycolytic pathway and proteasome, but also document a vast array of flagella-based signal transduction components that coordinate gravitaxis and phototactic motility. By contrast, the pellicle was found to consist of > 900 protein groups, containing additional structural and signalling components. Our data identify significant adaptations within the E. gracilis flagellum, many of which are clearly linked to the highly flexible lifestyle.

A Eukaryote-Wide Perspective on the Diversity and Evolution of the ARF GTPase Protein Family

The evolution of eukaryotic cellular complexity is interwoven with the extensive diversification of many protein families. One key family is the ARF GTPases that act in eukaryote-specific processes, including membrane traffic, tubulin assembly, actin dynamics, and cilia-related functions. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolution of this family is limited. Sampling an extensive set of available genome and transcriptome sequences, we have assembled a data set of over 2,000 manually curated ARF family genes from 114 eukaryotic species, including many deeply diverged protist lineages, and carried out comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analyses. These reconstructed as many as 16 ARF family members present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor, nearly doubling the previously inferred ancient system complexity. Evidence for the wide occurrence and ancestral origin of Arf6, Arl13, and Arl16 is presented for the first time. Moreover, Arl17, Arl18, and SarB, newly described here, are absent from well-studied model organisms and as a result their function(s) remain unknown. Analyses of our data set revealed a previously unsuspected diversity of membrane association modes and domain architectures within the ARF family. We detail the step-wise expansion of the ARF family in the metazoan lineage, including discovery of several new animal-specific family members. Delving back to its earliest evolution in eukaryotes, the resolved relationship observed between the ARF family paralogs sets boundaries for scenarios of vesicle coat origins during eukaryogenesis. Altogether, our work fundamentally broadens the understanding of the diversity and evolution of a protein family underpinning the structural and functional complexity of the eukaryote cells.

Ccdc113/Ccdc96 complex, a novel regulator of ciliary beating that connects radial spoke 3 to dynein g and the nexin link

Ciliary beating requires the coordinated activity of numerous axonemal complexes. The protein composition and role of radial spokes (RS), nexin links (N-DRC) and dyneins (ODAs and IDAs) is well established. However, how information is transmitted from the central apparatus to the RS and across other ciliary structures remains unclear. Here, we identify a complex comprising the evolutionarily conserved proteins Ccdc96 and Ccdc113, positioned parallel to N-DRC and forming a connection between RS3, dynein g, and N-DRC. Although Ccdc96 and Ccdc113 can be transported to cilia independently, their stable docking and function requires the presence of both proteins. Deletion of either CCDC113 or CCDC96 alters cilia beating frequency, amplitude and waveform. We propose that the Ccdc113/Ccdc96 complex transmits signals from RS3 and N-DRC to dynein g and thus regulates its activity and the ciliary beat pattern.

Rare Human Diseases: Model Organisms in Deciphering the Molecular Basis of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a recessive heterogeneous disorder of motile cilia, affecting one per 15,000-30,000 individuals; however, the frequency of this disorder is likely underestimated. Even though more than 40 genes are currently associated with PCD, in the case of approximately 30% of patients, the genetic cause of the manifested PCD symptoms remains unknown. Because motile cilia are highly evolutionarily conserved organelles at both the proteomic and ultrastructural levels, analyses in the unicellular and multicellular model organisms can help not only to identify new proteins essential for cilia motility (and thus identify new putative PCD-causative genes), but also to elucidate the function of the proteins encoded by known PCD-causative genes. Consequently, studies involving model organisms can help us to understand the molecular mechanism(s) behind the phenotypic changes observed in the motile cilia of PCD affected patients. Here, we summarize the current state of the art in the genetics and biology of PCD and emphasize the impact of the studies conducted using model organisms on existing knowledge.

Motile Cilia: Innovation and Insight From Ciliate Model Organisms

Ciliates are a powerful model organism for the study of basal bodies and motile cilia. These single-celled protists contain hundreds of cilia organized in an array making them an ideal system for both light and electron microscopy studies. Isolation and subsequent proteomic analysis of both cilia and basal bodies have been carried out to great success in ciliates. These studies reveal that ciliates share remarkable protein conservation with metazoans and have identified a number of essential basal body/ciliary proteins. Ciliates also boast a genetic and molecular toolbox that allows for facile manipulation of ciliary genes. Reverse genetics studies in ciliates have expanded our understanding of how cilia are positioned within an array, assembled, stabilized, and function at a molecular level. The advantages of cilia number coupled with a robust genetic and molecular toolbox have established ciliates as an ideal system for motile cilia and basal body research and prove a promising system for future research.

Evolutionary Proteomics Uncovers Ancient Associations of Cilia with Signaling Pathways

Cilia are organelles specialized for movement and signaling. To infer when during evolution signaling pathways became associated with cilia, we characterized the proteomes of cilia from sea urchins, sea anemones, and choanoflagellates. We identified 437 high-confidence ciliary candidate proteins conserved in mammals and discovered that Hedgehog and G-protein-coupled receptor pathways were linked to cilia before the origin of bilateria and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels before the origin of animals. We demonstrated that candidates not previously implicated in ciliary biology localized to cilia and further investigated ENKUR, a TRP channel-interacting protein identified in the cilia of all three organisms. ENKUR localizes to motile cilia and is required for patterning the left-right axis in vertebrates. Moreover, mutation of ENKUR causes situs inversus in humans. Thus, proteomic profiling of cilia from diverse eukaryotes defines a conserved ciliary proteome, reveals ancient connections to signaling, and uncovers a ciliary protein that underlies development and human disease.

Top-Down Atmospheric Ionization Mass Spectrometry Microscopy Combined With Proteogenomics

Mass spectrometry-based protein analysis has become an important methodology for proteogenomic mapping by providing evidence for the existence of proteins predicted at the genomic level. However, screening and identification of proteins directly on tissue samples, where histological information is preserved, remain challenging. Here we demonstrate that the ambient ionization source, nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nanoDESI), interfaced with light microscopy allows for protein profiling directly on animal tissues at the microscopic scale. Peptide fragments for mass spectrometry analysis were obtained directly on ganglia of the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) without in-gel digestion. We found that a hypothetical protein, which is predicted by the leech genome, is highly expressed on the specialized neural cells that are uniquely found in adult sex segmental ganglia. Via this top-down analysis, a post-translational modification (PTM) of tyrosine sulfation to this neuropeptide was resolved. This three-in-one platform, including mass spectrometry, microscopy, and genome mining, provides an effective way for mappings of proteomes under the lens of a light microscope.

USP9X counteracts differential ubiquitination of NPHP5 by MARCH7 and BBS11 to regulate ciliogenesis

Ciliogenesis is a fundamental biological process central to human health. Precisely how this process is coordinated with the cell cycle remains an open question. We report that nephrocystin-5 (NPHP5/IQCB1), a positive regulator of ciliogenesis, is a stable and low turnover protein subjected to cycles of ubiquitination and deubiquitination. NPHP5 directly binds to a deubiquitinating enzyme USP9X/FAM and two E3 ubiquitin ligases BBS11/TRIM32 and MARCH7/axotrophin. NPHP5 undergoes K63 ubiquitination in a cell cycle dependent manner and K48/K63 ubiquitination upon USP9X depletion or inhibition. In the G0/G1/S phase, a pool of cytoplasmic USP9X recruited to the centrosome by NPHP5 protects NPHP5 from ubiquitination, thus favouring cilia assembly. In the G2/M phase, USP9X dissociation from the centrosome allows BBS11 to K63 ubiquitinate NPHP5 which triggers protein delocalization and loss of cilia. BBS11 is a resident centrosomal protein, whereas cytoplasmic USP9X sequesters the majority of MARCH7 away from the centrosome during interphase. Depletion or inhibition of USP9X leads to an accumulation of centrosomal MARCH7 which K48 ubiquitinates NPHP5, triggering protein degradation and cilia loss. At the same time, BBS11 K63 ubiquitinates NPHP5. Our data suggest that dynamic ubiquitination and deubiquitination of NPHP5 plays a crucial role in the regulation of ciliogenesis.

Centrosomes are non-membrane bound organelles that modulate a variety of cellular processes including cell division and formation of hair-like protrusions called primary cilia. Primary cilia function as cellular antennae to sense a wide variety of signals important for growth, development and differentiation. Defects in cilia formation or ciliogenesis can give rise to a bewildering array of human ciliary diseases collectively known as ciliopathies. Ciliogenesis is controlled in part by nephrocystin-5 (NPHP5/IQCB1), and NPHP5 dysfunction causes ciliopathies in humans, mice and dogs. We are interested in studying how the stability, localization and biological activity of NPHP5 are regulated at the molecular level. We present here that NPHP5 directly interacts with, and is a substrate of, one deubiquitinase (USP9X/FAM) and two ubiquitin ligases (BBS11/TRIM32 and MARCH7/axotrophin), enzymes involved in controlling protein stability, localization and activity. Our results suggest that timely ubiquitination and deubiquitination of NPHP5 is critical for the regulation of ciliogenesis.

Axoneme Structure from Motile Cilia

The axoneme is the main extracellular part of cilia and flagella in eukaryotes. It consists of a microtubule cytoskeleton, which normally comprises nine doublets. In motile cilia, dynein ATPase motor proteins generate sliding motions between adjacent microtubules, which are integrated into a well-orchestrated beating or rotational motion. In primary cilia, there are a number of sensory proteins functioning on membranes surrounding the axoneme. In both cases, as the study of proteomics has elucidated, hundreds of proteins exist in this compartmentalized biomolecular system. In this article, we review the recent progress of structural studies of the axoneme and its components using electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, mainly focusing on motile cilia. Structural biology presents snapshots (but not live imaging) of dynamic structural change and gives insights into the force generation mechanism of dynein, ciliary bending mechanism, ciliogenesis, and evolution of the axoneme.

PACRG, a protein linked to ciliary motility, mediates cellular signaling

Cilia are cellular projections that can be motile to generate fluid flow or nonmotile to enable signaling. Both forms are based on shared components, and proteins involved in ciliary motility, like PACRG, may also function in ciliary signaling. Caenorhabditis elegans PACRG acts in a subset of nonmotile cilia to influence a learning behavior and promote longevity.

Cilia are microtubule-based organelles that project from nearly all mammalian cell types. Motile cilia generate fluid flow, whereas nonmotile (primary) cilia are required for sensory physiology and modulate various signal transduction pathways. Here we investigate the nonmotile ciliary signaling roles of parkin coregulated gene (PACRG), a protein linked to ciliary motility. PACRG is associated with the protofilament ribbon, a structure believed to dictate the regular arrangement of motility-associated ciliary components. Roles for protofilament ribbon–associated proteins in nonmotile cilia and cellular signaling have not been investigated. We show that PACRG localizes to a small subset of nonmotile cilia in Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting an evolutionary adaptation for mediating specific sensory/signaling functions. We find that it influences a learning behavior known as gustatory plasticity, in which it is functionally coupled to heterotrimeric G-protein signaling. We also demonstrate that PACRG promotes longevity in C. elegans by acting upstream of the lifespan-promoting FOXO transcription factor DAF-16 and likely upstream of insulin/IGF signaling. Our findings establish previously unrecognized sensory/signaling functions for PACRG and point to a role for this protein in promoting longevity. Furthermore, our work suggests additional ciliary motility-signaling connections, since EFHC1 (EF-hand containing 1), a potential PACRG interaction partner similarly associated with the protofilament ribbon and ciliary motility, also positively regulates lifespan.

Proteomic analyses of early response of unicellular eukaryotic microorganism Tetrahymena thermophila exposed to TiO₂ particles

Key biological functions involved in cell survival have been studied to understand the difference between the impact of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and their bulk counterparts (bulk-TiO2). By selecting a unicellular eukaryotic model organism and applying proteomic analysis an overview of the possible impact of exposure could be obtained. In this study, we investigated the early response of unicellular eukaryotic protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila exposed to TiO2-NPs or bulk-TiO2 particles at subtoxic concentrations for this organism. The proteomic analysis based on 2DE + nLC-ESI-MS/MS revealed 930 distinct protein spots, among which 77 were differentially expressed and 18 were unambiguously identified. We identified alterations in metabolic pathways, including lipid and fatty acid metabolism, purine metabolism and energetic metabolism, as well as salt stress and protein degradation. This proteomic study is consistent with our previous findings, where the early response of T. thermophila to subtoxic concentrations of TiO2 particles included alterations in lipid and fatty acid metabolism and ion regulation. The response to the lowest TiO2-NPs concentration differed significantly from the response to higher TiO2-NPs concentration and both bulk-TiO2 concentrations. Alterations on the physiological landscape were significant after exposure to both nano- and bulk-TiO2; however, no toxic effects were evidenced even at very high exposure concentrations. This study confirms the relevance of the alteration of the lipid profile and lipid metabolism in understanding the early impact of TiO2-NPs in eukaryotic cells, for example, phagocytosing cells like macrophages and ciliated cells in the respiratory epithelium.

Branchial cilia and sperm flagella recruit distinct axonemal components

Eukaryotic cilia and flagella have highly conserved 9 + 2 structures. They are functionally diverged to play cell-type-specific roles even in a multicellular organism. Although their structural components are therefore believed to be common, few studies have investigated the molecular diversity of the protein components of the cilia and flagella in a single organism. Here we carried out a proteomic analysis and compared protein components between branchial cilia and sperm flagella in a marine invertebrate chordate, Ciona intestinalis. Distinct feature of protein recruitment in branchial cilia and sperm flagella has been clarified; (1) Isoforms of α- and β-tubulins as well as those of actins are distinctly used in branchial cilia or sperm flagella. (2) Structural components, such as dynein docking complex, tektins and an outer dense fiber protein, are used differently by the cilia and flagella. (3) Sperm flagella are specialized for the cAMP- and Ca2+-dependent regulation of outer arm dynein and for energy metabolism by glycolytic enzymes. Our present study clearly demonstrates that flagellar or ciliary proteins are properly recruited according to their function and stability, despite their apparent structural resemblance and conservation.

Tctex1d2 associates with short-rib polydactyly syndrome proteins and is required for ciliogenesis

Short-rib polydactyly syndromes (SRPS) arise from mutations in genes involved in retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT) and basal body homeostasis, which are critical for cilia assembly and function. Recently, mutations in WDR34 or WDR60 (candidate dynein intermediate chains) were identified in SRPS. We have identified and characterized Tctex1d2, which associates with Wdr34, Wdr60 and other dynein complex 1 and 2 subunits. Tctex1d2 and Wdr60 localize to the base of the cilium and their depletion causes defects in ciliogenesis. We propose that Tctex1d2 is a novel dynein light chain important for trafficking to the cilium and potentially retrograde IFT and is a new molecular link to understanding SRPS pathology.

Remodeling Cildb, a popular database for cilia and links for ciliopathies

Background

New generation technologies in cell and molecular biology generate large amounts of data hard to exploit for individual proteins. This is particularly true for ciliary and centrosomal research. Cildb is a multi–species knowledgebase gathering high throughput studies, which allows advanced searches to identify proteins involved in centrosome, basal body or cilia biogenesis, composition and function. Combined to localization of genetic diseases on human chromosomes given by OMIM links, candidate ciliopathy proteins can be compiled through Cildb searches.

Methods

Othology between recent versions of the whole proteomes was computed using Inparanoid and ciliary high throughput studies were remapped on these recent versions.

Results

Due to constant evolution of the ciliary and centrosomal field, Cildb has been recently upgraded twice, with new species whole proteomes and new ciliary studies, and the latter version displays a novel BioMart interface, much more intuitive than the previous ones.

Conclusions

This already popular database is designed now for easier use and is up to date in regard to high throughput ciliary studies.

Expansion of biological pathways based on evolutionary inference

The availability of diverse genomes makes it possible to predict gene function based on shared evolutionary history. This approach can be challenging, however, for pathways whose components do not exhibit a shared history but rather consist of distinct "evolutionary modules." We introduce a computational algorithm, clustering by inferred models of evolution (CLIME), which inputs a eukaryotic species tree, homology matrix, and pathway (gene set) of interest. CLIME partitions the gene set into disjoint evolutionary modules, simultaneously learning the number of modules and a tree-based evolutionary history that defines each module. CLIME then expands each module by scanning the genome for new components that likely arose under the inferred evolutionary model. Application of CLIME to ∼1,000 annotated human pathways and to the proteomes of yeast, red algae, and malaria reveals unanticipated evolutionary modularity and coevolving components. CLIME is freely available and should become increasingly powerful with the growing wealth of eukaryotic genomes.

Loss of primary cilia occurs early in breast cancer development

BACKGROUND

Primary cilia are microtubule-based organelles that protrude from the cell surface. Primary cilia play a critical role in development and disease through regulation of signaling pathways including the Hedgehog pathway. Recent mouse models have also linked ciliary dysfunction to cancer. However, little is known about the role of primary cilia in breast cancer development. Primary cilia expression was characterized in cancer cells as well as their surrounding stromal cells from 86 breast cancer patients by counting cilia and measuring cilia length. In addition, we examined cilia expression in normal epithelial and stromal cells from reduction mammoplasties as well as histologically normal adjacent tissue for comparison.

RESULTS

We observed a statistically significant decrease in the percentage of ciliated cells on both premalignant lesions as well as in invasive cancers. This loss of cilia does not correlate with increased proliferative index (Ki67-positive cells). However, we did detect rare ciliated cancer cells present in patients with invasive breast cancer and found that these express a marker of basaloid cancers that is associated with poor prognosis (Cytokeratin 5). Interestingly, the percentage of ciliated stromal cells associated with both premalignant and invasive cancers decreased when compared to stromal cells associated with normal tissue. To understand how cilia may be lost during cancer development we analyzed the expression of genes required for ciliogenesis and/or ciliary function and compared their expression in normal versus breast cancer samples. We found that expression of ciliary genes were frequently downregulated in human breast cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that primary cilia are lost early in breast cancer development on both the cancer cells and their surrounding stromal cells.

Proteomic analysis of intact flagella of procyclic Trypanosoma brucei cells identifies novel flagellar proteins with unique sub-localization and dynamics

Cilia and flagella are complex organelles made of hundreds of proteins of highly variable structures and functions. Here we report the purification of intact flagella from the procyclic stage of Trypanosoma brucei using mechanical shearing. Structural preservation was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy that showed that flagella still contained typical elements such as the membrane, the axoneme, the paraflagellar rod, and the intraflagellar transport particles. It also revealed that flagella severed below the basal body, and were not contaminated by other cytoskeletal structures such as the flagellar pocket collar or the adhesion zone filament. Mass spectrometry analysis identified a total of 751 proteins with high confidence, including 88% of known flagellar components. Comparison with the cell debris fraction revealed that more than half of the flagellum markers were enriched in flagella and this enrichment criterion was taken into account to identify 212 proteins not previously reported to be associated to flagella. Nine of these were experimentally validated including a 14-3-3 protein not yet reported to be associated to flagella and eight novel proteins termed FLAM (FLAgellar Member). Remarkably, they localized to five different subdomains of the flagellum. For example, FLAM6 is restricted to the proximal half of the axoneme, no matter its length. In contrast, FLAM8 is progressively accumulating at the distal tip of growing flagella and half of it still needs to be added after cell division. A combination of RNA interference and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching approaches demonstrated very different dynamics from one protein to the other, but also according to the stage of construction and the age of the flagellum. Structural proteins are added to the distal tip of the elongating flagellum and exhibit slow turnover whereas membrane proteins such as the arginine kinase show rapid turnover without a detectible polarity.

Trimethylation enhancement using diazomethane (TrEnDi): rapid on-column quaternization of peptide amino groups via reaction with diazomethane significantly enhances sensitivity in mass spectrometry analyses via a fixed, permanent positive charge

Defining cellular processes relies heavily on elucidating the temporal dynamics of proteins. To this end, mass spectrometry (MS) is an extremely valuable tool; different MS-based quantitative proteomics strategies have emerged to map protein dynamics over the course of stimuli. Herein, we disclose our novel MS-based quantitative proteomics strategy with unique analytical characteristics. By passing ethereal diazomethane over peptides on strong cation exchange resin within a microfluidic device, peptides react to contain fixed, permanent positive charges. Modified peptides display improved ionization characteristics and dissociate via tandem mass spectrometry (MS(2)) to form strong a2 fragment ion peaks. Process optimization and determination of reactive functional groups enabled a priori prediction of MS(2) fragmentation patterns for modified peptides. The strategy was tested on digested bovine serum albumin (BSA) and successfully quantified a peptide that was not observable prior to modification. Our method ionizes peptides regardless of proton affinity, thus decreasing ion suppression and permitting predictable multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-based quantitation with improved sensitivity.

Bug22 influences cilium morphology and the post-translational modification of ciliary microtubules

Cilia and flagella are organelles essential for motility and sensing of environmental stimuli. Depending on the cell type, cilia acquire a defined set of functions and, accordingly, are built with an appropriate length and molecular composition. Several ciliary proteins display a high degree of conservation throughout evolution and mutations in ciliary genes are associated with various diseases such as ciliopathies and infertility. Here, we describe the role of the highly conserved ciliary protein, Bug22, in Drosophila. Previous studies in unicellular organisms have shown that Bug22 is required for proper cilia function, but its exact role in ciliogenesis has not been investigated yet. Null Bug22 mutant flies display cilia-associated phenotypes and nervous system defects. Furthermore, sperm differentiation is blocked at the individualization stage, due to impaired migration of the individualization machinery. Tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as polyglycylation, polyglutamylation or acetylation, are determinants of microtubule (MT) functions and stability in centrioles, cilia and neurons. We found defects in the timely incorporation of polyglycylation in sperm axonemal MTs of Bug22 mutants. In addition, we found that depletion of human Bug22 in RPE1 cells resulted in the appearance of longer cilia and reduced axonemal polyglutamylation. Our work identifies Bug22 as a protein that plays a conserved role in the regulation of PTMs of the ciliary axoneme.

Getting to the heart of intraflagellar transport using Trypanosoma and Chlamydomonas models: the strength is in their differences

Cilia and flagella perform diverse roles in motility and sensory perception, and defects in their construction or their function are responsible for human genetic diseases termed ciliopathies. Cilia and flagella construction relies on intraflagellar transport (IFT), the bi-directional movement of ‘trains’ composed of protein complexes found between axoneme microtubules and the flagellum membrane. Although extensive information about IFT components and their mode of action were discovered in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, other model organisms have revealed further insights about IFT. This is the case of Trypanosoma brucei, a flagellated protist responsible for sleeping sickness that is turning out to be an emerging model for studying IFT. In this article, we review different aspects of IFT, based on studies of Chlamydomonas and Trypanosoma. Data available from both models are examined to ask challenging questions about IFT such as the initiation of flagellum construction, the setting-up of IFT and the mode of formation of IFT trains, and their remodeling at the tip as well as their recycling at the base. Another outstanding question is the individual role played by the multiple IFT proteins. The use of different models, bringing their specific biological and experimental advantages, will be invaluable in order to obtain a global understanding of IFT.

The eukaryotic flagellum makes the day: novel and unforeseen roles uncovered after post-genomics and proteomics data

This review will summarize and discuss the current biological understanding of the motile eukaryotic flagellum, as posed out by recent advances enabled by post-genomics and proteomics approaches. The organelle, which is crucial for motility, survival, differentiation, reproduction, division and feeding, among other activities, of many eukaryotes, is a great example of a natural nanomachine assembled mostly by proteins (around 350-650 of them) that have been conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution. Flagellar proteins are discussed in terms of their arrangement on to the axoneme, the canonical “9+2” microtubule pattern, and also motor and sensorial elements that have been detected by recent proteomic analyses in organisms such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, sea urchin, and trypanosomatids. Such findings can be remarkably matched up to important discoveries in vertebrate and mammalian types as diverse as sperm cells, ciliated kidney epithelia, respiratory and oviductal cilia, and neuro-epithelia, among others. Here we will focus on some exciting work regarding eukaryotic flagellar proteins, particularly using the flagellar proteome of C. reinhardtii as a reference map for exploring motility in function, dysfunction and pathogenic flagellates. The reference map for the eukaryotic flagellar proteome consists of 652 proteins that include known structural and intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins, less well-characterized signal transduction proteins and flagellar associated proteins (FAPs), besides almost two hundred unannotated conserved proteins, which lately have been the subject of intense investigation and of our present examination.

Analysis of flagellar protein ubiquitination

Flagella/cilia are conserved organelles existing in unicellular protists and multicellular animals, where they perform essential motile and sensory functions. Their assembly and disassembly are coordinated with the cell cycle, and recent evidence shows that posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, methylation, and ubiquitination are involved in these two processes, perhaps through interacting with intraflagellar transport (IFT), a specialized intracellular transport that is required for the assembly and maintenance of flagella/cilia. In this chapter, we summarize the components of the ubiquitination system published in proteomic databases of flagella/cilia. Furthermore, we describe procedures to analyze the ubiquitin-conjugating system in Chlamydomonas flagella and to analyze flagellar protein ubiquitination during flagellar shortening and the mating process. These results and tools will be valuable for the characterization of substrates of ubiquitination and their roles in flagellar disassembly and in regulating signal transduction pathways in flagella/cilia.

The SYSCILIA gold standard (SCGSv1) of known ciliary components and its applications within a systems biology consortium

The multinational SYSCILIA consortium aims to gain a mechanistic understanding of the cilium. We utilize multiple parallel high-throughput (HTP) initiatives to develop predictive models of relationships between complex genotypes and variable phenotypes of ciliopathies. The models generated are only as good as the wet laboratory data fed into them. It is therefore essential to orchestrate a well-annotated and high-confidence dataset to be able to assess the quality of any HTP dataset. Here, we present the inaugural SYSCILIA gold standard of known ciliary components as a public resource.

Mutations in LRRC50 predispose zebrafish and humans to seminomas

Seminoma is a subclass of human testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT), the most frequently observed cancer in young men with a rising incidence. Here we describe the identification of a novel gene predisposing specifically to seminoma formation in a vertebrate model organism. Zebrafish carrying a heterozygous nonsense mutation in Leucine-Rich Repeat Containing protein 50 (lrrc50 also called dnaaf1), associated previously with ciliary function, are found to be highly susceptible to the formation of seminomas. Genotyping of these zebrafish tumors shows loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the wild-type lrrc50 allele in 44.4% of tumor samples, correlating with tumor progression. In humans we identified heterozygous germline LRRC50 mutations in two different pedigrees with a family history of seminomas, resulting in a nonsense Arg488* change and a missense Thr590Met change, which show reduced expression of the wild-type allele in seminomas. Zebrafish in vivo complementation studies indicate the Thr590Met to be a loss-of-function mutation. Moreover, we show that a pathogenic Gln307Glu change is significantly enriched in individuals with seminoma tumors (13% of our cohort). Together, our study introduces an animal model for seminoma and suggests LRRC50 to be a novel tumor suppressor implicated in human seminoma pathogenesis.

Architectural insights into a ciliary partition

Ciliary compartmentalization plays pivotal roles in ciliogenesis and in various signaling pathways. Here we describe a structure at the ciliary base that appears to have all the features required for compartmentalization and which we thus call the "ciliary partitioning system" (CPS). This complex consists of the terminal plate, which serves as a cytosolic "ciliary pore complex" (CPC), and a membrane region well suited to serve as a diffusion barrier. The CPC is a plate-shaped structure containing nine pores through which the microtubule doublets of the basal body pass. Each pore expands from the doublet B-tubule into an opening well suited for the passage of intraflagellar transport particles. The membrane diffusion barrier encompasses an extended region of detergent-resistant periciliary membrane (ciliary pocket) and a ring complex that connects the CPC to the membrane. Proteomics analysis shows involvement of the ciliary pocket in vesicle trafficking, suggesting that this region plays an active role in membrane transport. The CPC and the ring together form a complete partition defining the ciliary boundary.

Proteomic analysis of the cilia membrane of Paramecium tetraurelia

Channels, pumps, receptors, cyclases and other membrane proteins modulate the motility and sensory function of cilia, but these proteins are generally under-represented in proteomic analyses of cilia. Studies of these ciliary membrane proteins would benefit from a protocol to greatly enrich for integral and lipidated membrane proteins. We used LC-MS/MS to compare the proteomes of unfractionated cilia (C), the ciliary membrane (CM) and the ciliary membrane in the detergent phase (DP) of Triton X-114 phase separation. 55% of the proteins in DP were membrane proteins (i.e. predicted transmembrane or membrane-associated through lipid modifications) and 31% were transmembrane. This is to be compared to 23% membrane proteins with 9% transmembrane in CM and 9% membrane proteins with 3% transmembrane in C. 78% of the transmembrane proteins in the DP were found uniquely in DP, and not in C or CM. There were ion channels, cyclases, plasma membrane pumps, Ca(2+) dependent protein kinases, and Rab GTPases involved in the signal transduction in DP that were not identified in the other C and CM preparations. Of 267 proteins unique to the DP, 147 were novel, i.e. not found in other proteomic and genomic studies of cilia.

Proteomic profiling of the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea and its mucous reveals similarities with human secretions and those predicted for parasitic flatworms

The freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea has been used in research for over 100 years, and is an emerging stem cell model because of its capability of regenerating large portions of missing body parts. Exteriorly, planarians are covered in mucous secretions of unknown composition, implicated in locomotion, predation, innate immunity, and substrate adhesion. Although the planarian genome has been sequenced, it remains mostly unannotated, challenging both genomic and proteomic analyses. The goal of the current study was to annotate the proteome of the whole planarian and its mucous fraction. The S. mediterranea proteome was analyzed via mass spectrometry by using multidimensional protein identification technology with whole-worm tryptic digests. By using a proteogenomics approach, MS data were searched against an in silico translated planarian transcript database, and by using the Swiss-Prot BLAST algorithm to identify proteins similar to planarian queries. A total of 1604 proteins were identified. The mucous subproteome was defined through analysis of a mucous trail fraction and an extract obtained by treating whole worms with the mucolytic agent N-acetylcysteine. Gene Ontology analysis confirmed that the mucous fractions were enriched with secreted proteins. The S. mediterranea proteome is highly similar to that predicted for the trematode Schistosoma mansoni associated with intestinal schistosomiasis, with the mucous subproteome particularly highly conserved. Remarkably, orthologs of 119 planarian mucous proteins are present in human mucosal secretions and tear fluid. We suggest planarians have potential to be a model system for the characterization of mucous protein function and relevant to parasitic flatworm infections and diseases underlined by mucous aberrancies, such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and other lung diseases.

Proteomics and the Trypanosoma brucei cytoskeleton: advances and opportunities

Trypanosoma brucei is the etiological agent of devastating parasitic disease in humans and livestock in sub-saharan Africa. The pathogenicity and growth of the parasite are intimately linked to its shape and form. This is in turn derived from a highly ordered microtubule cytoskeleton that forms a tightly arrayed cage directly beneath the pellicular membrane and numerous other cytoskeletal structures such as the flagellum. The parasite undergoes extreme changes in cellular morphology during its life cycle and cell cycles which require a high level of integration and coordination of cytoskeletal processes. In this review we will discuss the role that proteomics techniques have had in advancing our understanding of the molecular composition of the cytoskeleton and its functions. We then consider future opportunities for the application of these techniques in terms of addressing some of the unanswered questions of trypanosome cytoskeletal cell biology with particular focus on the differences in the composition and organisation of the cytoskeleton through the trypanosome life-cycle.

Purification of Tetrahymena cytoskeletal proteins

Like all eukaryotic cells, Tetrahymena thermophila contains a rich array of cytoskeletal proteins, some familiar and some novel. A detailed analysis of the structure, function, and interactions of these proteins requires procedures for purifying the individual protein components. Procedures for the purification of actin and tubulin from Tetrahymena are reviewed, followed by a description of a procedure that yields proteins from the epiplasmic layer and associated structures, including the tetrins. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for future advances are assessed.

Molecular pathways: the role of primary cilia in cancer progression and therapeutics with a focus on Hedgehog signaling

Abnormal Hedgehog (Hh) pathway activity has been reported in many cancers, including basal cell carcinomas, medulloblastomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, glioblastomas, and breast and prostate cancers. For this reason, the Hh pathway is a flourishing area for development of anticancer drugs such as Hh ligand antagonists (e.g., 5E1 and robotnikinin), Smo inhibitors (e.g., GDC-0449 and IPI-926), and Gli transcriptional activity inhibitors (e.g., GANT58 and GANT61). It is now clear that primary cilia are required for activation of the Hh pathway in normal vertebrate cells. It is in the primary cilium that both positive and negative effectors of the Hh pathway are processed by posttranslational modifications. In many cancers, preliminary results suggest that primary cilia are lost. As drugs that inhibit different steps of the Hh pathway are developed, it will be important to consider how these drugs will function in the context of primary cilia in the tumor environment. Here, we discuss why some of the Hh inhibitors may be ineffective if primary cilia are lost on cancer cells. Understanding the relationships between clinical inhibitors of the Hh pathway and the presence or absence of primary cilia may turn out to be critical for targeting these therapeutics to the correct population of patients and improving their efficacy. Further work is needed in this area to maximize the potential of these exciting therapeutic targets.

Calcium signaling in closely related protozoan groups (Alveolata): non-parasitic ciliates (Paramecium, Tetrahymena) vs. parasitic Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma)

The importance of Ca2+-signaling for many subcellular processes is well established in higher eukaryotes, whereas information about protozoa is restricted. Recent genome analyses have stimulated such work also with Alveolates, such as ciliates (Paramecium, Tetrahymena) and their pathogenic close relatives, the Apicomplexa (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma). Here we compare Ca2+ signaling in the two closely related groups. Acidic Ca2+ stores have been characterized in detail in Apicomplexa, but hardly in ciliates. Two-pore channels engaged in Ca2+-release from acidic stores in higher eukaryotes have not been stingently characterized in either group. Both groups are endowed with plasma membrane- and endoplasmic reticulum-type Ca2+-ATPases (PMCA, SERCA), respectively. Only recently was it possible to identify in Paramecium a number of homologs of ryanodine and inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate receptors (RyR, IP3R) and to localize them to widely different organelles participating in vesicle trafficking. For Apicomplexa, physiological experiments suggest the presence of related channels although their identity remains elusive. In Paramecium, IP3Rs are constitutively active in the contractile vacuole complex; RyR-related channels in alveolar sacs are activated during exocytosis stimulation, whereas in the parasites the homologous structure (inner membrane complex) may no longer function as a Ca2+ store. Scrutinized comparison of the two closely related protozoan phyla may stimulate further work and elucidate adaptation to parasitic life. See also "Conclusions" section.

Proteomic analysis of mammalian primary cilia

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based organelle that senses extracellular signals as a cellular antenna. Primary cilia are found on many types of cells in our body and play important roles in development and physiology. Defects of primary cilia cause a broad class of human genetic diseases called ciliopathies. To gain new insights into ciliary functions and better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying ciliopathies, it is of high importance to generate a catalog of primary cilia proteins. In this study, we isolated primary cilia from mouse kidney cells by using a calcium-shock method and identified 195 candidate primary cilia proteins by MudPIT (multidimensional protein identification technology), protein correlation profiling, and subtractive proteomic analysis. Based on comparisons with other proteomic studies of cilia, around 75% of our candidate primary cilia proteins are shared components with motile or specialized sensory cilia. The remaining 25% of the candidate proteins are possible primary cilia-specific proteins. These possible primary cilia-specific proteins include EVC2, INPP5E, and inversin, several of which have been linked to known ciliopathies. We have performed the first reported proteomic analysis of primary cilia from mammalian cells. These results provide new insights into primary cilia structure and function.

Whole genome studies of Tetrahymena

Within the past decade, genomic studies have emerged as essential and highly productive tools to explore the biology of Tetrahymena thermophila. The current major resources, which have been extensively mined by the research community, are the annotated macronuclear genome assembly, transcriptomic data and the databases that house this information. Efforts in progress will soon improve these data sources and expand their scope, including providing annotated micronuclear and comparative genomic sequences. Future studies of Tetrahymena cell and molecular biology, development, physiology, evolution and ecology will benefit greatly from these resources and the advanced genomic technologies they enable.

Ciliary and flagellar structure and function--their regulations by posttranslational modifications of axonemal tubulin

Eukaryotic cilia and flagella are evolutionarily conserved microtubule-based organelles protruding from the cell surface. They perform dynein-driven beating which contributes to cell locomotion or flow generation. They also play important roles in sensing as cellular antennae, which allows cells to respond to various external stimuli. The main components of cilia and flagella, α- and β-tubulins, are known to undergo various posttranslational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, palmitoylation, tyrosination/detyrosination, Δ2 modification, acetylation, glutamylation, and glycylation. Recent identification of tubulin-modifying enzymes, especially tubulin tyrosine ligase-like proteins which perform tubulin glutamylation and glycylation, has demonstrated the importance of tubulin modifications for the assembly and functions of cilia and flagella. In this chapter, we review recent work on PTMs of ciliary and flagellar tubulins in conjunction with discussing the basic knowledge.

Conservation and innovation in Tetrahymena membrane traffic: proteins, lipids, and compartments

The past decade has seen a significant expansion in our understanding of membrane traffic in Tetrahymena thermophila, facilitated by the development of new experimental tools and by the availability of the macronuclear genome sequence. Here we review studies on multiple pathways of uptake and secretion, as well as work on metabolism of membrane lipids. We discuss evidence for conservation versus innovation in the mechanisms used in ciliates compared with those in other eukaryotic lineages, and raise the possibility that existing gene expression databases can be exploited to analyze specific pathways of membrane traffic in these cells.

Evolution: Tracing the origins of centrioles, cilia, and flagella

Centrioles/basal bodies (CBBs) are microtubule-based cylindrical organelles that nucleate the formation of centrosomes, cilia, and flagella. CBBs, cilia, and flagella are ancestral structures; they are present in all major eukaryotic groups. Despite the conservation of their core structure, there is variability in their architecture, function, and biogenesis. Recent genomic and functional studies have provided insight into the evolution of the structure and function of these organelles.

Independent analysis of the flagellum surface and matrix proteomes provides insight into flagellum signaling in mammalian-infectious Trypanosoma brucei

The flagellum of African trypanosomes is an essential and multifunctional organelle that functions in motility, cell morphogenesis, and host-parasite interaction. Previous studies of the trypanosome flagellum have been limited by the inability to purify flagella without first removing the flagellar membrane. This limitation is particularly relevant in the context of studying flagellum signaling, as signaling requires surface-exposed proteins in the flagellar membrane and soluble signaling proteins in the flagellar matrix. Here we employ a combination of genetic and mechanical approaches to purify intact flagella from the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, in its mammalian-infectious stage. We combined flagellum purification with affinity-purification of surface-exposed proteins to conduct independent proteomic analyses of the flagellum surface and matrix fractions. The proteins identified encompass a broad range of molecular functionalities, including many predicted to function in signaling. Immunofluorescence and RNA interference studies demonstrate flagellum localization and function for proteins identified and provide insight into mechanisms of flagellum attachment and motility. The flagellum surface proteome includes many T. brucei-specific proteins and is enriched for proteins up-regulated in the mammalian-infectious stage of the parasite life-cycle. The combined results indicate that the flagellum surface presents a diverse and dynamic host-parasite interface that is well-suited for host-parasite signaling.

Tetrahymena thermophila, a unicellular eukaryote with separate germline and somatic genomes

Tetrahymena thermophila is a ciliate--a unicellular eukaryote. Remarkably, every cell maintains differentiated germline and somatic genomes: one silent, the other expressed. Moreover, the two genomes undergo diverse processes, some as extreme as life and death, simultaneously in the same cytoplasm. Conserved eukaryotic mechanisms have been modified in ciliates to selectively deal with the two genomes. We describe research in several areas of Tetrahymena biology, including meiosis, amitosis, genetic assortment, selective nuclear pore transport, somatic RNAi-guided heterochromatin formation, DNA excision and programmed nuclear death by autophagy, which has enriched and broadened knowledge of those mechanisms.

[The importance of model organisms to study cilia and flagella biology]

Cilia and flagella are ubiquitous organelles that protrude from the surfaces of many cells, and whose architecture is highly conserved from protists to humans. These complex organelles, composed of over 500 proteins, can be either immotile or motile. They are involved in a myriad of biological processes, including sensing (non-motile cilia) and/or cell motility or movement of extracellular fluids (motile cilia). The ever-expanding list of human diseases linked to defective cilia illustrates the functional importance of cilia and flagella. These ciliopathies are characterised by an impressive diversity of symptoms and an often complex genetic etiology. A precise knowledge of cilia and flagella biology is thus critical to better understand these pathologies. However, multi-ciliated cells are terminally differentiated and difficult to manipulate, and a primary cilium is assembled only when the cell exits from the cell cycle. In this context the use of model organisms, that relies on the high degree of structural but also of molecular conservation of these organelles across evolution, is instrumental to decipher the many facets of cilia and flagella biology. In this review, we highlight the specific strengths of the main model organisms to investigate the molecular composition, mode of assembly, sensing and motility mechanisms and functions of cilia and flagella. Pioneering studies carried out in the green alga Chlamydomonas established the link between cilia and several genetic diseases. Moreover, multicellular organisms such as mouse, zebrafish, Xenopus, C. elegans or Drosophila, and protists like Paramecium, Tetrahymena and Trypanosoma or Leishmania each bring specific advantages to the study of cilium biology. For example, the function of genes involved in primary ciliary dyskinesia (due to defects in ciliary motility) can be efficiently assessed in trypanosomes.