1
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Refai O, Rodriguez P, Gichi Z, Blakely RD. Forward genetic screen of the C. elegans million mutation library reveals essential, cell-autonomous contributions of BBSome proteins to dopamine signaling. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 39118406 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is well known for its ability to support forward genetic screens to identify molecules involved in neuronal viability and signaling. The proteins involved in C. elegans dopamine (DA) regulation are highly conserved across evolution, with prior work demonstrating that the model can serve as an efficient platform to identify novel genes involved in disease-associated processes. To identify novel players in DA signaling, we took advantage of a recently developed library of pre-sequenced mutant nematodes arising from the million mutation project (MMP) to identify strains that display the DA-dependent swimming-induced-paralysis phenotype (Swip). Our screen identified novel mutations in the dopamine transporter encoding gene dat-1, whose loss was previously used to identify the Swip phenotype, as well as multiple genes with previously unknown connections to DA signaling. Here, we present our isolation and characterization of one of these genes, bbs-1, previously linked to the function of primary cilia in worms and higher organisms, including humans, and where loss-of-function mutations result in a human disorder known as Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Our studies of C. elegans BBS-1 protein, as well as other proteins that are known to be assembled into a higher order complex (the BBSome) reveal that functional or structural disruption of this complex leads to exaggerated C. elegans DA signaling to produce Swip via a cell-autonomous mechanism. We provide evidence that not only does the proper function of cilia in C. elegans DA neurons support normal swimming behavior, but also that bbs-1 maintains normal levels of DAT-1 trafficking or function via a RHO-1 and SWIP-13/MAPK-15 dependent pathway where mutants may contribute to Swip independent of altered ciliary function. Together, these studies demonstrate novel contributors to DA neuron function in the worm and demonstrate the utility and efficiency of forward genetic screens using the MMP library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama Refai
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Peter Rodriguez
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Zayna Gichi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Department of Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
- Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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2
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Shang S, Gao F, Zhang Q, Song T, Wang W, Liu D, Gong Y, Lu X. 0.263 terahertz irradiation induced genes expression changes in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2024; 27:109391. [PMID: 38532884 PMCID: PMC10963221 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The biosafety of terahertz (THz) waves has emerged as a new area of concern with the gradual application of terahertz radiation. Even though many studies have been conducted to investigate the influence of THz radiation on living organisms, the biological effects of terahertz waves have not yet been fully revealed. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used to evaluate the biological consequences of whole-body exposure to 0.263 THz irradiation. The integration of transcriptome sequencing and behavioral tests of C. elegans revealed that high-power THz irradiation damaged the epidermal ultrastructures, inhibited the expression of the cuticle collagen genes, and impaired the movement of C. elegans. Moreover, the genes involved in the immune system and the neural system were dramatically down-regulated by high-power THz irradiation. Our findings offer fresh perspectives on the biological impacts of high-power THz radiation that could cause epidermal damage and provoke a systemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Shang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Fei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
| | - Tao Song
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Diwei Liu
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yubin Gong
- Terahertz Science and Technology Research Center, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, P.R. China
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3
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Ray S, Gurung P, Manning RS, Kravchuk AA, Singhvi A. Neuron cilia restrain glial KCC-3 to a microdomain to regulate multisensory processing. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113844. [PMID: 38421867 PMCID: PMC11296322 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Glia interact with multiple neurons, but it is unclear whether their interactions with each neuron are different. Our interrogation at single-cell resolution reveals that a single glial cell exhibits specificity in its interactions with different contacting neurons. Briefly, C. elegans amphid sheath (AMsh) glia apical-like domains contact 12 neuron-endings. At these ad-neuronal membranes, AMsh glia localize the K/Cl transporter KCC-3 to a microdomain exclusively around the thermosensory AFD neuron to regulate its properties. Glial KCC-3 is transported to ad-neuronal regions, where distal cilia of non-AFD glia-associated chemosensory neurons constrain it to a microdomain at AFD-contacting glial membranes. Aberrant KCC-3 localization impacts both thermosensory (AFD) and chemosensory (non-AFD) neuron properties. Thus, neurons can interact non-synaptically through a shared glial cell by regulating microdomain localization of its cues. As AMsh and glia across species compartmentalize multiple cues like KCC-3, we posit that this may be a broadly conserved glial mechanism that modulates information processing across multimodal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Ray
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Pralaksha Gurung
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - R Sean Manning
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Alexandra A Kravchuk
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Aakanksha Singhvi
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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4
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Logan DR, Hall J, Bianchi L. A helping hand: roles for accessory cells in the sense of touch across species. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1367476. [PMID: 38433863 PMCID: PMC10904576 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1367476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
During touch, mechanical forces are converted into electrochemical signals by tactile organs made of neurons, accessory cells, and their shared extracellular spaces. Accessory cells, including Merkel cells, keratinocytes, lamellar cells, and glia, play an important role in the sensation of touch. In some cases, these cells are intrinsically mechanosensitive; however, other roles include the release of chemical messengers, the chemical modification of spaces that are shared with neurons, and the tuning of neural sensitivity by direct physical contact. Despite great progress in the last decade, the precise roles of these cells in the sense of touch remains unclear. Here we review the known and hypothesized contributions of several accessory cells to touch by incorporating research from multiple organisms including C. elegans, D. melanogaster, mammals, avian models, and plants. Several broad parallels are identified including the regulation of extracellular ions and the release of neuromodulators by accessory cells, as well as the emerging potential physical contact between accessory cells and sensory neurons via tethers. Our broader perspective incorporates the importance of accessory cells to the understanding of human touch and pain, as well as to animal touch and its molecular underpinnings, which are underrepresented among the animal welfare literature. A greater understanding of touch, which must include a role for accessory cells, is also relevant to emergent technical applications including prosthetics, virtual reality, and robotics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Bianchi
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
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5
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Bear RM, Caspary T. Uncovering cilia function in glial development. Ann Hum Genet 2024; 88:27-44. [PMID: 37427745 PMCID: PMC10776815 DOI: 10.1111/ahg.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Primary cilia play critical roles in regulating signaling pathways that underlie several developmental processes. In the nervous system, cilia are known to regulate signals that guide neuron development. Cilia dysregulation is implicated in neurological diseases, and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Cilia research has predominantly focused on neurons and has overlooked the diverse population of glial cells in the brain. Glial cells play essential roles during neurodevelopment, and their dysfunction contributes to neurological disease; however, the relationship between cilia function and glial development is understudied. Here we review the state of the field and highlight the glial cell types where cilia are found and the ciliary functions that are linked to glial development. This work uncovers the importance of cilia in glial development and raises outstanding questions for the field. We are poised to make progress in understanding the function of glial cilia in human development and their contribution to neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Bear
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Suite 301, Atlanta GA 30322
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Tamara Caspary
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Suite 301, Atlanta GA 30322
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6
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Stone MC, Mauger AS, Rolls MM. Ciliated sensory neurons can regenerate axons after complete axon removal. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245717. [PMID: 37212026 PMCID: PMC10323231 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Axon regeneration helps maintain lifelong function of neurons in many animals. Depending on the site of injury, new axons can grow either from the axon stump (after distal injury) or from the tip of a dendrite (after proximal injury). However, some neuron types do not have dendrites to be converted to a regenerating axon after proximal injury. For example, many sensory neurons receive information from a specialized sensory cilium rather than a branched dendrite arbor. We hypothesized that the lack of traditional dendrites would limit the ability of ciliated sensory neurons to respond to proximal axon injury. We tested this hypothesis by performing laser microsurgery on ciliated lch1 neurons in Drosophila larvae and tracking cells over time. These cells survived proximal axon injury as well as distal axon injury, and, like many other neurons, initiated growth from the axon stump after distal injury. After proximal injury, neurites regrew in a surprisingly flexible manner. Most cells initiated outgrowth directly from the cell body, but neurite growth could also emerge from the short axon stump or base of the cilium. New neurites were often branched. Although outgrowth after proximal axotomy was variable, it depended on the core DLK axon injury signaling pathway. Moreover, each cell had at least one new neurite specified as an axon based on microtubule polarity and accumulation of the endoplasmic reticulum. We conclude that ciliated sensory neurons are not intrinsically limited in their ability to grow a new axon after proximal axon removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. Stone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Abigail S. Mauger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Melissa M. Rolls
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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7
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Colgren J, Burkhardt P. The premetazoan ancestry of the synaptic toolkit and appearance of first neurons. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:781-795. [PMID: 36205407 PMCID: PMC9750855 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurons, especially when coupled with muscles, allow animals to interact with and navigate through their environment in ways unique to life on earth. Found in all major animal lineages except sponges and placozoans, nervous systems range widely in organization and complexity, with neurons possibly representing the most diverse cell-type. This diversity has led to much debate over the evolutionary origin of neurons as well as synapses, which allow for the directed transmission of information. The broad phylogenetic distribution of neurons and presence of many of the defining components outside of animals suggests an early origin of this cell type, potentially in the time between the first animal and the last common ancestor of extant animals. Here, we highlight the occurrence and function of key aspects of neurons outside of animals as well as recent findings from non-bilaterian animals in order to make predictions about when and how the first neuron(s) arose during animal evolution and their relationship to those found in extant lineages. With advancing technologies in single cell transcriptomics and proteomics as well as expanding functional techniques in non-bilaterian animals and the close relatives of animals, it is an exciting time to begin unraveling the complex evolutionary history of this fascinating animal cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Colgren
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Pawel Burkhardt
- Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Norway
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8
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Amack JD. Structures and functions of cilia during vertebrate embryo development. Mol Reprod Dev 2022; 89:579-596. [PMID: 36367893 PMCID: PMC9805515 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Cilia are hair-like structures that project from the surface of cells. In vertebrates, most cells have an immotile primary cilium that mediates cell signaling, and some specialized cells assemble one or multiple cilia that are motile and beat synchronously to move fluids in one direction. Gene mutations that alter cilia structure or function cause a broad spectrum of disorders termed ciliopathies that impact virtually every system in the body. A wide range of birth defects associated with ciliopathies underscores critical functions for cilia during embryonic development. In many cases, the mechanisms underlying cilia functions during development and disease remain poorly understood. This review describes different types of cilia in vertebrate embryos and discusses recent research results from diverse model systems that provide novel insights into how cilia form and function during embryo development. The work discussed here not only expands our understanding of in vivo cilia biology, but also opens new questions about cilia and their roles in establishing healthy embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Amack
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA,,BioInspired Syracuse: Institute for Material and Living Systems, Syracuse, New York, USA
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9
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Chrystal PW, Lambacher NJ, Doucette LP, Bellingham J, Schiff ER, Noel NCL, Li C, Tsiropoulou S, Casey GA, Zhai Y, Nadolski NJ, Majumder MH, Tagoe J, D'Esposito F, Cordeiro MF, Downes S, Clayton-Smith J, Ellingford J, Mahroo OA, Hocking JC, Cheetham ME, Webster AR, Jansen G, Blacque OE, Allison WT, Au PYB, MacDonald IM, Arno G, Leroux MR. The inner junction protein CFAP20 functions in motile and non-motile cilia and is critical for vision. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6595. [PMID: 36329026 PMCID: PMC9633640 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile and non-motile cilia are associated with mutually-exclusive genetic disorders. Motile cilia propel sperm or extracellular fluids, and their dysfunction causes primary ciliary dyskinesia. Non-motile cilia serve as sensory/signalling antennae on most cell types, and their disruption causes single-organ ciliopathies such as retinopathies or multi-system syndromes. CFAP20 is a ciliopathy candidate known to modulate motile cilia in unicellular eukaryotes. We demonstrate that in zebrafish, cfap20 is required for motile cilia function, and in C. elegans, CFAP-20 maintains the structural integrity of non-motile cilia inner junctions, influencing sensory-dependent signalling and development. Human patients and zebrafish with CFAP20 mutations both exhibit retinal dystrophy. Hence, CFAP20 functions within a structural/functional hub centered on the inner junction that is shared between motile and non-motile cilia, and is distinct from other ciliopathy-associated domains or macromolecular complexes. Our findings suggest an uncharacterised pathomechanism for retinal dystrophy, and potentially for motile and non-motile ciliopathies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Chrystal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Nils J Lambacher
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Lance P Doucette
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Elena R Schiff
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Nicole C L Noel
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Chunmei Li
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Sofia Tsiropoulou
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Geoffrey A Casey
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yi Zhai
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Nathan J Nadolski
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mohammed H Majumder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Julia Tagoe
- Lethbridge Outreach Genetics Service, Alberta Health Services, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Fabiana D'Esposito
- Western Eye Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- ICORG, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Susan Downes
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Jill Clayton-Smith
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jamie Ellingford
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Genomics England, London, UK
| | - Omar A Mahroo
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
| | - Jennifer C Hocking
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Andrew R Webster
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
| | - Gert Jansen
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Oliver E Blacque
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - W Ted Allison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Ping Yee Billie Au
- Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
| | - Ian M MacDonald
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Gavin Arno
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
- North Thames Genomic Laboratory Hub, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Michel R Leroux
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
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10
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Brugman KI, Susoy V, Whittaker AJ, Palma W, Nava S, Samuel ADT, Sternberg PW. PEZO-1 and TRP-4 mechanosensors are involved in mating behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac213. [PMID: 36712331 PMCID: PMC9802279 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Male mating in Caenorhabditis elegans is a complex behavior with a strong mechanosensory component. C. elegans has several characterized mechanotransducer proteins, but few have been shown to contribute to mating. Here, we investigated the roles of PEZO-1, a piezo channel, and TRP-4, a mechanotransducing TRPN channel, in male mating behavior. We show that pezo-1 is expressed in several male-specific neurons with known roles in mating. We show that, among other neurons, trp-4 is expressed in the Post-Cloacal sensilla neuron type A (PCA) sensory neuron, which monitors relative sliding between the male and the hermaphrodite and inhibits neurons involved in vulva detection. Mutations in both genes compromise many steps of mating, including initial response to the hermaphrodite, scanning, turning, and vulva detection. We performed pan-neuronal imaging during mating between freely moving mutant males and hermaphrodites. Both pezo-1 and trp-4 mutants showed spurious activation of the sensory neurons involved in vulva detection. In trp-4 mutants, this spurious activation might be caused by PCA failure to inhibit vulva-detecting neurons during scanning. Indeed, we show that without functional TRP-4, PCA fails to detect the relative sliding between the male and hermaphrodite. Cell-specific TRP-4 expression restores PCA's mechanosensory function. Our results demonstrate new roles for both PEZO-1 and TRP-4 mechanotransducers in C. elegans mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine I Brugman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Vladislav Susoy
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Allyson J Whittaker
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Wilber Palma
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Stephanie Nava
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Aravinthan D T Samuel
- Department of Physics and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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11
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Hibbard JVK, Vázquez N, Wallingford JB. Cilia proteins getting to work - how do they commute from the cytoplasm to the base of cilia? J Cell Sci 2022; 135:jcs259444. [PMID: 36073764 PMCID: PMC9482345 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilia are multifunctional organelles that originated with the last eukaryotic common ancestor and play central roles in the life cycles of diverse organisms. The motile flagella that move single cells like sperm or unicellular organisms, the motile cilia on animal multiciliated cells that generate fluid flow in organs, and the immotile primary cilia that decorate nearly all cells in animals share many protein components in common, yet each also requires specialized proteins to perform their specialized functions. Despite a now-advanced understanding of how such proteins are transported within cilia, we still know very little about how they are transported from their sites of synthesis through the cytoplasm to the ciliary base. Here, we review the literature concerning this underappreciated topic in ciliary cell biology. We discuss both general mechanisms, as well as specific examples of motor-driven active transport and passive transport via diffusion-and-capture. We then provide deeper discussion of specific, illustrative examples, such as the diverse array of protein subunits that together comprise the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system and the multi-protein axonemal dynein motors that drive beating of motile cilia. We hope this Review will spur further work, shedding light not only on ciliogenesis and ciliary signaling, but also on intracellular transport in general.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John B. Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78751, USA
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12
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Zhang X, Liu J, Pan T, Ward A, Liu J, Xu XZS. A cilia-independent function of BBSome mediated by DLK-MAPK signaling in C. elegans photosensation. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1545-1557.e4. [PMID: 35649417 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a genetic disorder that affects primary cilia. BBSome, a protein complex composed of eight BBS proteins, regulates the structure and function of cilia, and its malfunction causes BBS in humans. Here, we report a cilia-independent function of BBSome. To identify genes that regulate the C. elegans photoreceptor protein LITE-1 in ciliated ASH photosensory neurons, we performed a genetic screen and isolated bbs mutants. Functional analysis revealed that BBSome regulates LITE-1 protein stability independently of cilia. Through another round of genetic screening, we found that this cilia-independent function of BBSome is mediated by DLK-MAPK signaling, which acts downstream of BBSome to control LITE-1 stability via Rab5-mediated endocytosis. BBSome exerts its function by regulating the expression of DLK. BBSome also regulates the expression of LZK, a mammalian DLK in human cells. These studies identify a cilia-independent function of BBSome and uncover DLK as an evolutionarily conserved BBSome effector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jinzhi Liu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Tong Pan
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alex Ward
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical, School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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13
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De-Castro ARG, Rodrigues DRM, De-Castro MJG, Vieira N, Vieira C, Carvalho AX, Gassmann R, Abreu CMC, Dantas TJ. WDR60-mediated dynein-2 loading into cilia powers retrograde IFT and transition zone crossing. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:212746. [PMID: 34739033 PMCID: PMC8576871 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202010178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynein-2 motor complex drives retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT), playing a pivotal role in the assembly and functions of cilia. However, the mechanisms that regulate dynein-2 motility remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the Caenorhabditis elegans WDR60 homologue, WDR-60, and dissect the roles of this intermediate chain using genome editing and live imaging of endogenous dynein-2/IFT components. We find that loss of WDR-60 impairs dynein-2 recruitment to cilia and its incorporation onto anterograde IFT trains, reducing retrograde motor availability at the ciliary tip. Consistent with this, we show that fewer dynein-2 motors power WDR-60–deficient retrograde IFT trains, which move at reduced velocities and fail to exit cilia, accumulating on the distal side of the transition zone. Remarkably, disrupting the transition zone’s NPHP module almost fully restores ciliary exit of underpowered retrograde trains in wdr-60 mutants. This work establishes WDR-60 as a major contributor to IFT, and the NPHP module as a roadblock to dynein-2 passage through the transition zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R G De-Castro
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Diogo R M Rodrigues
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria J G De-Castro
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Neide Vieira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Cármen Vieira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana X Carvalho
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Reto Gassmann
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carla M C Abreu
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago J Dantas
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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14
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15
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Baldi P, Alhassen W, Chen S, Nguyen H, Khoudari M, Alachkar A. Large-scale analysis reveals spatiotemporal circadian patterns of cilia transcriptomes in the primate brain. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2610-2624. [PMID: 34310750 PMCID: PMC11391745 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cilia are dynamic subcellular systems, with core structural and functional components operating in a highly coordinated manner. Since many environmental stimuli sensed by cilia are circadian in nature, it is reasonable to speculate that genes encoding cilia structural and functional components follow rhythmic circadian patterns of expression. Using computational methods and the largest spatiotemporal gene expression atlas of primates, we identified and analyzed the circadian rhythmic expression of cilia genes across 22 primate brain areas. We found that around 73% of cilia transcripts exhibited circadian rhythmicity across at least one of 22 brain regions. In 12 brain regions, cilia transcriptomes were significantly enriched with circadian oscillating transcripts, as compared to the rest of the transcriptome. The phase of the cilia circadian transcripts deviated from the phase of the majority of the background circadian transcripts, and transcripts coding for cilia basal body components accounted for the majority of cilia circadian transcripts. In addition, adjacent or functionally connected brain nuclei had large overlapping complements of circadian cilia genes. Most remarkably, cilia circadian transcripts shared across the basal ganglia nuclei and the prefrontal cortex peaked in these structures in sequential fashion that is similar to the sequential order of activation of the basal ganglia-cortical circuitry in connection with movement coordination, albeit on completely different timescales. These findings support a role for the circadian spatiotemporal orchestration of cilia gene expression in the normal physiology of the basal ganglia-cortical circuit and motor control. Studying orchestrated cilia rhythmicity in the basal ganglia-cortical circuits and other brain circuits may help develop better functional models, and shed light on the causal effects cilia functions have on these circuits and on the regulation of movement and other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Baldi
- Department of Computer Science, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Wedad Alhassen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Computer Science, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Henry Nguyen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Khoudari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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16
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Zhang A, Guan Z, Ockerman K, Dong P, Guo J, Wang Z, Yan D. Regulation of glial size by eicosapentaenoic acid through a novel Golgi apparatus mechanism. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3001051. [PMID: 33370778 PMCID: PMC7793280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordination of cell growth is essential for the development of the brain, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of glial and neuronal size are poorly understood. To investigate the mechanisms involved in glial size regulation, we used Caenorhabditis elegans amphid sheath (AMsh) glia as a model and show that a conserved cis-Golgi membrane protein eas-1/GOLT1B negatively regulates glial growth. We found that eas-1 inhibits a conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase rnf-145/RNF145, which, in turn, promotes nuclear activation of sbp-1/ SREBP, a key regulator of sterol and fatty acid synthesis, to restrict cell growth. At early developmental stages, rnf-145 in the cis-Golgi network inhibits sbp-1 activation to promote the growth of glia, and when animals reach the adult stage, this inhibition is released through an eas-1-dependent shuttling of rnf-145 from the cis-Golgi to the trans-Golgi network to stop glial growth. Furthermore, we identified long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), as downstream products of the eas-1-rnf-145-sbp-1 pathway that functions to prevent the overgrowth of glia. Together, our findings reveal a novel and potentially conserved mechanism underlying glial size control. The molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of glial and neuronal size are poorly understood. This study in nematodes reveals eicosapentaenoic acid as the downstream product of a pathway that functions to prevent the overgrowth of glia, suggesting a novel and potentially conserved mechanism underlying glial size control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kyle Ockerman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Pengyuan Dong
- Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiansheng Guo
- Center of Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiping Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dong Yan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Regeneration Next Initiative, and Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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VAN Krugten J, Taris KKH, Peterman EJG. Imaging adult C. elegans live using light-sheet microscopy. J Microsc 2020; 281:214-223. [PMID: 32949409 PMCID: PMC7891351 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Live observation of biological phenomena in the context of living organisms can provide important insights in the mechanisms of these phenomena. However, the spatially complex and dynamic physiology of multicellular organisms can be a challenging environment to make observations with fluorescence microscopy. Due to the illumination of out‐of‐focus planes, confocal and particularly widefield fluorescence microscopy suffer from low signal‐to‐background ratio (SBR), photo toxicity and bleaching of fluorescent probes. In light‐sheet microscopy (LSM), solely the focal plane of the detection objective is illuminated, minimising out‐of‐focus fluorescence and photobleaching, thereby enhancing SBR, allowing for low laser intensities and longer acquisition periods. Here we present a straightforward light‐sheet microscope with a 1.0‐NA detection objective and a fast sample‐positioning stage that allows for four degrees of freedom. By imaging the sensory cilia and nervous system of living young adult C. elegans, we demonstrate that the instrument is well suited for relatively fast, volumetric imaging of larger (hundreds of micrometres cubed) living samples. These experiments demonstrate that such an instrument provides a valuable addition to commonly used widefield and confocal fluorescence microscopes. Lay description In fluorescence microscopy, sharp images can only be obtained when the light obtained from the section of the image that is in focus is not overwhelmed by light emerging from elsewhere. In this paper, we present a light‐sheet fluorescence microscope, based on the OpenSPIM initiative, with a magnification of 90× and a sensitive sample positioning stage that allows for fast controlled linear movement and rotation. In a light‐sheet microscope (LSM), the sample is illuminated from the side, compared to the direction of detection, limiting illumination only to the part of the sample that is imaged in the focal plane (general resources: Wikipedia or MicroscopyU). This does not only limit background noise, but also reduces damage to the sample due to phototoxicity. This makes a LSM particularly suitable for imaging living samples at high resolution, in three dimensions, over long periods of time. Our instrument was specifically designed for imaging adult C. elegans nematodes. We show here how the instrument compares to a standard epifluorescence microscope, imaging neuronal structures in the animals. The instrument proved well suited for fast volumetric imaging of larger cellular structures such as C. elegans neuronal cell bodies. Our experiments show that the instrument provides a valuable addition to widefield and confocal fluorescence microscopes commonly used to image adult C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- J VAN Krugten
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - K-K H Taris
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin J G Peterman
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Téllez-Arreola JL, Silva M, Martínez-Torres A. MCTP-1 modulates neurotransmitter release in C. elegans. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 107:103528. [PMID: 32650044 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple C2 and Transmembrane Domain Proteins (MCTPs) are putative calcium sensors. Proteins that contain C2 domains play essential roles in membrane trafficking and exocytosis; however, MCTPs functions in neurotransmitter release are not known. Here we report that in C. elegans mctp-1 is under the control of two promoters - one active in the nervous system and the second in the spermatheca. We generated and characterized a loss of function amt1 mutant and compared it to a previously published loss of function mutant (av112). Loss of mctp-1 function causes defects in egg-laying, crawling velocity, and thrashing rates. Both amt1 and av112 mutants are hyposensitive to the acetylcholinesterase blocker aldicarb, suggesting that MCTP-1 may play a role in synaptic vesicle release.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Luis Téllez-Arreola
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, C.P. 76215 Juriquilla, Querétaro, México; School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Malan Silva
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Ataúlfo Martínez-Torres
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, C.P. 76215 Juriquilla, Querétaro, México.
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19
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Mijalkovic J, Girard J, van Krugten J, van Loo J, Zhang Z, Loseva E, Oswald F, Peterman EJG. Cutting off ciliary protein import: intraflagellar transport after dendritic femtosecond-laser ablation. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:324-334. [PMID: 31940255 PMCID: PMC7183794 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-06-0399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia, organelles protruding from the surface of eukaryotic cells, act as cellular antennae to detect and transmit signals from the extracellular environment. They are built and maintained by continuous cycles of intraflagellar transport (IFT), where ciliary proteins are transported between the ciliary base and tip. These proteins originate from the cell body because cilia lack protein synthesis machinery. How input from the cell body affects IFT and ciliary function is not well understood. Here, we use femtosecond-laser ablation to perturb the dendritic input of proteins to chemosensory cilia in living Caenorhabditis elegans. Using fluorescence microscopy, we visualize and quantify the real-time response of ciliary proteins to dendritic ablation. We find that the response occurs in three distinct stages. First, IFT dynein is activated within seconds, redistributing IFT components toward the ciliary base; second, the ciliary axoneme shortens and motors slow down; and third, motors leave the cilium. Depletion of ATP by adding azide also results in IFT slowdown and IFT components leaving the cilium, but not in activation of retrograde IFT. These results indicate that laser ablation triggers a specific mechanism important for IFT regulation that allows the cilium to rapidly adapt to changes in the outside environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jona Mijalkovic
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jules Girard
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap van Krugten
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jasmijn van Loo
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zhiqing Zhang
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elizaveta Loseva
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Felix Oswald
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin J G Peterman
- LaserLaB and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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20
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Moreno E, Lightfoot JW, Lenuzzi M, Sommer RJ. Cilia drive developmental plasticity and are essential for efficient prey detection in predatory nematodes. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191089. [PMID: 31575374 PMCID: PMC6790756 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cilia are complex organelles involved in a broad array of functions in eukaryotic organisms. Nematodes employ cilia for environmental sensing, which shapes developmental decisions and influences morphologically plastic traits and adaptive behaviours. Here, we assess the role of cilia in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, and determine their importance in regulating the developmentally plastic mouth-form decision in addition to predatory feeding and self-recognition behaviours, all of which are not present in Caenorhabditis elegans. An analysis of a multitude of cilia-related mutants including representatives of the six protein subcomplexes required in intraflagellar transport (IFT) plus the regulatory factor X transcription factor daf-19 revealed that cilia are essential for processing the external cues influencing the mouth-form decision and for the efficient detection of prey. Surprisingly, we observed that loss-of-function mutations in the different IFT components resulted in contrasting mouth-form phenotypes and different degrees of predation deficiencies. This observation supports the idea that perturbing different IFT subcomplexes has different effects on signalling downstream of the cilium. Finally, self-recognition was maintained in the cilia deficient mutants tested, indicating that the mechanisms triggering self-recognition in P. pacificus may not require the presence of fully functional cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ralf J. Sommer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 9, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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21
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Nomoto Y, Kubota Y, Ohnishi Y, Kasahara K, Tomita A, Oshime T, Yamashita H, Fahmi M, Ito M. Gene Cascade Finder: A tool for identification of gene cascades and its application in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215187. [PMID: 31504044 PMCID: PMC6736238 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the gene regulatory networks, or gene cascades, involved in cell fate determination and cell lineage segregation in Caenorhabditis elegans is a long-standing challenge. Although RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a promising technique to resolve these questions, the bioinformatics tools to identify associated gene cascades from RNA-Seq data remain inadequate. To overcome these limitations, we developed Gene Cascade Finder (GCF) as a novel tool for building gene cascades by comparison of mutant and wild-type RNA-Seq data along with integrated information of protein-protein interactions, expression timing, and domains. Application of GCF to RNA-Seq data confirmed that SPN-4 and MEX-3 regulate the canonical Wnt pathway during embryonic development. Moreover, lin-35, hsp-3, and gpa-12 were found to be involved in MEX-1-dependent neurogenesis, and MEX-3 was found to control the gene cascade promoting neurogenesis through lin-35 and apl-1. Thus, GCF could be a useful tool for building gene cascades from RNA-Seq data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nomoto
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Kubota
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yuto Ohnishi
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Kota Kasahara
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Aimi Tomita
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Takehiro Oshime
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Hiroki Yamashita
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Muhamad Fahmi
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ito
- Advanced Life Sciences Program, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- * E-mail:
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22
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Moreno E, Lenuzzi M, Rödelsperger C, Prabh N, Witte H, Roeseler W, Riebesell M, Sommer RJ. DAF‐19/RFX controls ciliogenesis and influences oxygen‐induced social behaviors in
Pristionchus pacificus. Evol Dev 2018; 20:233-243. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Moreno
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Maša Lenuzzi
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Christian Rödelsperger
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Neel Prabh
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Hanh Witte
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Waltraud Roeseler
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Metta Riebesell
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
| | - Ralf J. Sommer
- Max Planck Institute for Developmental BiologyDepartment of Evolutionary BiologyTübingenGermany
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23
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Mohamed MAA, Stepp WL, Ökten Z. Reconstitution reveals motor activation for intraflagellar transport. Nature 2018; 557:387-391. [PMID: 29743676 PMCID: PMC5967604 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The human body represents a striking example of ciliary diversification. Extending from the surface of most cells, cilia accomplish an astonishingly diverse set of tasks. Predictably, mutations in ciliary genes cause a wide range of human diseases such as male infertility or blindness. In C. elegans sensory cilia, this functional diversity appears to be traceable to the differential regulation of the kinesin-2-powered intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery. Here, we reconstituted the first functional, multi-component IFT complex that is deployed in the sensory cilia of C. elegans. Our bottom-up approach revealed the molecular basis of specific motor recruitment to the IFT trains. We identified the key component that incorporates homodimeric kinesin-2 into its physiologically relevant context which in turn allosterically activates the motor for efficient transport. These results lay the groundwork for a molecular delineation of IFT regulation that eluded understanding since its ground-breaking discovery more than two decades ago.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Willi L Stepp
- Physik Department E22, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Zeynep Ökten
- Physik Department E22, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany. .,Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science, Munich, Germany.
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Wiegering A, Dildrop R, Kalfhues L, Spychala A, Kuschel S, Lier JM, Zobel T, Dahmen S, Leu T, Struchtrup A, Legendre F, Vesque C, Schneider-Maunoury S, Saunier S, Rüther U, Gerhardt C. Cell type-specific regulation of ciliary transition zone assembly in vertebrates. EMBO J 2018; 37:embj.201797791. [PMID: 29650680 PMCID: PMC5978567 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201797791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ciliopathies are life-threatening human diseases caused by defective cilia. They can often be traced back to mutations of genes encoding transition zone (TZ) proteins demonstrating that the understanding of TZ organisation is of paramount importance. The TZ consists of multimeric protein modules that are subject to a stringent assembly hierarchy. Previous reports place Rpgrip1l at the top of the TZ assembly hierarchy in Caenorhabditis elegans By performing quantitative immunofluorescence studies in RPGRIP1L-/- mouse embryos and human embryonic cells, we recognise a different situation in vertebrates in which Rpgrip1l deficiency affects TZ assembly in a cell type-specific manner. In cell types in which the loss of Rpgrip1l alone does not affect all modules, additional truncation or removal of vertebrate-specific Rpgrip1 results in an impairment of all modules. Consequently, Rpgrip1l and Rpgrip1 synergistically ensure the TZ composition in several vertebrate cell types, revealing a higher complexity of TZ assembly in vertebrates than in invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Wiegering
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Renate Dildrop
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lisa Kalfhues
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - André Spychala
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefanie Kuschel
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Johanna Maria Lier
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Zobel
- Center for Advanced Imaging (CAi), Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefanie Dahmen
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tristan Leu
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas Struchtrup
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Flora Legendre
- INSERM, U983, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Christine Vesque
- Paris-Seine (IBPS) - Developmental Biology Laboratory, Institut de Biologie, CNRS, UMR7622, INSERM U1156, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Schneider-Maunoury
- Paris-Seine (IBPS) - Developmental Biology Laboratory, Institut de Biologie, CNRS, UMR7622, INSERM U1156, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Saunier
- INSERM, U983, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Ulrich Rüther
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christoph Gerhardt
- Institute for Animal Developmental and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Fagan KA, Luo J, Lagoy RC, Schroeder FC, Albrecht DR, Portman DS. A Single-Neuron Chemosensory Switch Determines the Valence of a Sexually Dimorphic Sensory Behavior. Curr Biol 2018; 28:902-914.e5. [PMID: 29526590 PMCID: PMC5862148 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Biological sex, a fundamental dimension of internal state, can modulate neural circuits to generate behavioral variation. Understanding how and why circuits are tuned by sex can provide important insights into neural and behavioral plasticity. Here we find that sexually dimorphic behavioral responses to C. elegans ascaroside sex pheromones are implemented by the functional modulation of shared chemosensory circuitry. In particular, the sexual state of a single sensory neuron pair, ADF, determines the nature of an animal's behavioral response regardless of the sex of the rest of the body. Genetic feminization of ADF causes males to be repelled by, rather than attracted to, ascarosides, whereas masculinization of ADF has the opposite effect in hermaphrodites. When ADF is ablated, both sexes are weakly repelled by ascarosides. Genetic sex modulates ADF function by tuning chemosensation: although ADF is functional in both sexes, it detects the ascaroside ascr#3 only in males, a consequence of cell-autonomous action of the master sexual regulator tra-1. This occurs in part through the conserved DM-domain gene mab-3, which promotes the male state of ADF. The sexual modulation of ADF has a key role in reproductive fitness, as feminization or ablation of ADF renders males unable to use ascarosides to locate mates. Our results reveal an economical mechanism in which sex-specific behavioral valence arises through the cell-autonomous regulation of a chemosensory switch by genetic sex, allowing a social cue with salience for both sexes to elicit navigational responses commensurate with the differing needs of each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli A Fagan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610, USA
| | - Jintao Luo
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610, USA; Center for Neurotherapeutics Development, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610, USA
| | - Ross C Lagoy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 60 Prescott Street, Room 4004, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | | | - Dirk R Albrecht
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 60 Prescott Street, Room 4004, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Douglas S Portman
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610, USA; Center for Neurotherapeutics Development, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610, USA; Departments of Biomedical Genetics, Neuroscience, and Biology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 645, Rochester, NY 14610, USA.
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Assaying sensory ciliopathies using calcium biosensor expression in zebrafish ciliated olfactory neurons. Cilia 2018; 7:2. [PMID: 29568513 PMCID: PMC5856005 DOI: 10.1186/s13630-018-0056-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Primary cilia mediate signal transduction by acting as an organizing scaffold for receptors, signalling proteins and ion channels. Ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) organize olfactory receptors and ion channels on cilia and generate a calcium influx as a primary signal in odourant detection. In the zebrafish olfactory placode, ciliated OSNs and microvillus OSNs constitute the major OSN cell types with distinct odourant sensitivity. Methods Using transgenic expression of the calcium biosensor GCaMP5 in OSNs, we analysed sensory cilia-dependent odour responses in live zebrafish, at individual cell resolution. oval/ift88 mutant and ift172 knockdown zebrafish were compared with wild-type siblings to establish ciliated OSN sensitivity to different classes of odourants. Results oval/ift88 mutant and ift172 knockdown zebrafish showed fewer and severely shortened OSN cilia without a reduction in OSN number. The fraction of responding OSNs and response amplitudes to bile acids and food odour, both sensed by ciliated OSNs, were significantly reduced in ift88 mutants and ift172-deficient embryos, while the amino acids responses were not significantly changed. Conclusions Our approach presents a quantitative model for studying sensory cilia signalling using zebrafish OSNs. Our results also implicate ift172-deficiency as a novel cause of hyposmia, a reduced sense of smell, highlighting the value of directly assaying sensory cilia signalling in vivo and supporting the idea that hyposmia can be used as a diagnostic indicator of ciliopathies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13630-018-0056-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Barr MM, García LR, Portman DS. Sexual Dimorphism and Sex Differences in Caenorhabditis elegans Neuronal Development and Behavior. Genetics 2018; 208:909-935. [PMID: 29487147 PMCID: PMC5844341 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As fundamental features of nearly all animal species, sexual dimorphisms and sex differences have particular relevance for the development and function of the nervous system. The unique advantages of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have allowed the neurobiology of sex to be studied at unprecedented scale, linking ultrastructure, molecular genetics, cell biology, development, neural circuit function, and behavior. Sex differences in the C. elegans nervous system encompass prominent anatomical dimorphisms as well as differences in physiology and connectivity. The influence of sex on behavior is just as diverse, with biological sex programming innate sex-specific behaviors and modifying many other aspects of neural circuit function. The study of these differences has provided important insights into mechanisms of neurogenesis, cell fate specification, and differentiation; synaptogenesis and connectivity; principles of circuit function, plasticity, and behavior; social communication; and many other areas of modern neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen M Barr
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8082
| | - L Rene García
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3258
| | - Douglas S Portman
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester, New York 14642
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, New York 14642
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Antagonistic regulation of trafficking to Caenorhabditis elegans sensory cilia by a Retinal Degeneration 3 homolog and retromer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:E438-E447. [PMID: 29282322 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712302115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory neurons often possess cilia with elaborate membrane structures that are adapted to the sensory modality of the host cell. Mechanisms that target sensory transduction proteins to these specialized membrane domains remain poorly understood. Here, we show that a homolog of the human retinal dystrophy gene Retinal Degeneration 3 (RD3) is a Golgi-associated protein required for efficient trafficking of a sensory receptor, the receptor-type guanylate cyclase GCY-9, to cilia in chemosensory neurons of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans The trafficking defect caused by mutation of the nematode RD3 homolog is suppressed in vivo by mutation of key components of the retromer complex, which mediates recycling of cargo from endosomes to the Golgi. Our data show that there exists a critical balance in sensory neurons between the rates of anterograde and retrograde trafficking of cargo destined for the sensory cilium and this balance requires molecular specialization at an early stage of the secretory pathway.
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29
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Van De Weghe JC, Rusterholz TD, Latour B, Grout ME, Aldinger KA, Shaheen R, Dempsey JC, Maddirevula S, Cheng YHH, Phelps IG, Gesemann M, Goel H, Birk OS, Alanzi T, Rawashdeh R, Khan AO, Bamshad MJ, Nickerson DA, Neuhauss SC, Dobyns WB, Alkuraya FS, Roepman R, Bachmann-Gagescu R, Doherty D, Doherty D. Mutations in ARMC9, which Encodes a Basal Body Protein, Cause Joubert Syndrome in Humans and Ciliopathy Phenotypes in Zebrafish. Am J Hum Genet 2017. [PMID: 28625504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Joubert syndrome (JS) is a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hypotonia, ataxia, abnormal eye movements, and variable cognitive impairment. It is defined by a distinctive brain malformation known as the "molar tooth sign" on axial MRI. Subsets of affected individuals have malformations such as coloboma, polydactyly, and encephalocele, as well as progressive retinal dystrophy, fibrocystic kidney disease, and liver fibrosis. More than 35 genes have been associated with JS, but in a subset of families the genetic cause remains unknown. All of the gene products localize in and around the primary cilium, making JS a canonical ciliopathy. Ciliopathies are unified by their overlapping clinical features and underlying mechanisms involving ciliary dysfunction. In this work, we identify biallelic rare, predicted-deleterious ARMC9 variants (stop-gain, missense, splice-site, and single-exon deletion) in 11 individuals with JS from 8 families, accounting for approximately 1% of the disorder. The associated phenotypes range from isolated neurological involvement to JS with retinal dystrophy, additional brain abnormalities (e.g., heterotopia, Dandy-Walker malformation), pituitary insufficiency, and/or synpolydactyly. We show that ARMC9 localizes to the basal body of the cilium and is upregulated during ciliogenesis. Typical ciliopathy phenotypes (curved body shape, retinal dystrophy, coloboma, and decreased cilia) in a CRISPR/Cas9-engineered zebrafish mutant model provide additional support for ARMC9 as a ciliopathy-associated gene. Identifying ARMC9 mutations as a cause of JS takes us one step closer to a full genetic understanding of this important disorder and enables future functional work to define the central biological mechanisms underlying JS and other ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Dan Doherty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
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31
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Bainbridge C, Rodriguez A, Schuler A, Cisneros M, Vidal-Gadea AG. Magnetic orientation in C. elegans relies on the integrity of the villi of the AFD magnetosensory neurons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 110:76-82. [PMID: 27940210 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic field of the earth provides many organisms with sufficient information to successfully navigate through their environments. While evidence suggests the widespread use of this sensory modality across many taxa, it remains an understudied sensory modality. We have recently showed that the nematode C. elegans orients to earth-strength magnetic fields using the first pair of described magnetosensory neurons, AFDs. The AFD cells are a pair of ciliated sensory neurons crowned by fifty villi known to be implicated in temperature sensation. We investigated the potential importance of these subcellular structures for the performance of magnetic orientation. We show that ciliary integrity and villi number are essential for magnetic orientation. Mutants with impairments AFD cilia or villi structure failed to orient to magnetic fields. Similarly, C. elegans larvae possessing immature AFD neurons with fewer villi were also unable to orient to magnetic fields. Larvae of every stage however retained the ability to orient to thermal gradients. To our knowledge, this is the first behavioral separation of magnetic and thermal orientation in C. elegans. We conclude that magnetic orientation relies on the function of both cilia and villi in the AFD neurons. The role of villi in multiple sensory transduction pathways involved in the sensory transduction of vectorial stimuli further supports the likely role of the villi of the AFD neurons as the site for magnetic field transduction. The genetic and behavioral tractability of C. elegans make it a promising system for uncovering potentially conserved molecular mechanisms by which animals across taxa detect and orient to magnetic fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chance Bainbridge
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Anjelica Rodriguez
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Andrew Schuler
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Michael Cisneros
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Andrés G Vidal-Gadea
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA. http://biology.illinoisstate.edu/avidal
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32
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Loucks CM, Bialas NJ, Dekkers MPJ, Walker DS, Grundy LJ, Li C, Inglis PN, Kida K, Schafer WR, Blacque OE, Jansen G, Leroux MR. PACRG, a protein linked to ciliary motility, mediates cellular signaling. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:2133-44. [PMID: 27193298 PMCID: PMC4927285 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-07-0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catrina M Loucks
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Nathan J Bialas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | | | - Denise S Walker
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Laura J Grundy
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Chunmei Li
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - P Nick Inglis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Katarzyna Kida
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - William R Schafer
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver E Blacque
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Gert Jansen
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michel R Leroux
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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Ciliary Extracellular Vesicles: Txt Msg Organelles. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2016; 36:449-57. [PMID: 26983828 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-016-0345-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cilia are sensory organelles that protrude from cell surfaces to monitor the surrounding environment. In addition to its role as sensory receiver, the cilium also releases extracellular vesicles (EVs). The release of sub-micron sized EVs is a conserved form of intercellular communication used by all three kingdoms of life. These extracellular organelles play important roles in both short and long range signaling between donor and target cells and may coordinate systemic responses within an organism in normal and diseased states. EV shedding from ciliated cells and EV-cilia interactions are evolutionarily conserved phenomena, yet remarkably little is known about the relationship between the cilia and EVs and the fundamental biology of EVs. Studies in the model organisms Chlamydomonas and Caenorhabditis elegans have begun to shed light on ciliary EVs. Chlamydomonas EVs are shed from tips of flagella and are bioactive. Caenorhabditis elegans EVs are shed and released by ciliated sensory neurons in an intraflagellar transport-dependent manner. Caenorhabditis elegans EVs play a role in modulating animal-to-animal communication, and this EV bioactivity is dependent on EV cargo content. Some ciliary pathologies, or ciliopathies, are associated with abnormal EV shedding or with abnormal cilia-EV interactions. Until the 21st century, both cilia and EVs were ignored as vestigial or cellular junk. As research interest in these two organelles continues to gain momentum, we envision a new field of cell biology emerging. Here, we propose that the cilium is a dedicated organelle for EV biogenesis and EV reception. We will also discuss possible mechanisms by which EVs exert bioactivity and explain how what is learned in model organisms regarding EV biogenesis and function may provide insight to human ciliopathies.
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Schou KB, Pedersen LB, Christensen ST. Ins and outs of GPCR signaling in primary cilia. EMBO Rep 2015; 16:1099-113. [PMID: 26297609 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201540530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are specialized microtubule-based signaling organelles that convey extracellular signals into a cellular response in most vertebrate cell types. The physiological significance of primary cilia is underscored by the fact that defects in assembly or function of these organelles lead to a range of severe diseases and developmental disorders. In most cell types of the human body, signaling by primary cilia involves different G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which transmit specific signals to the cell through G proteins to regulate diverse cellular and physiological events. Here, we provide an overview of GPCR signaling in primary cilia, with main focus on the rhodopsin-like (class A) and the smoothened/frizzled (class F) GPCRs. We describe how such receptors dynamically traffic into and out of the ciliary compartment and how they interact with other classes of ciliary GPCRs, such as class B receptors, to control ciliary function and various physiological and behavioral processes. Finally, we discuss future avenues for developing GPCR-targeted drug strategies for the treatment of ciliopathies.
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35
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Maguire JE, Silva M, Nguyen KCQ, Hellen E, Kern AD, Hall DH, Barr MM. Myristoylated CIL-7 regulates ciliary extracellular vesicle biogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:2823-32. [PMID: 26041936 PMCID: PMC4571341 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-01-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The cilium both releases and binds to extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs may be used by cells as a form of intercellular communication and mediate a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. The mammalian polycystins (PCs) localize to cilia, as well as to urinary EVs released from renal epithelial cells. PC ciliary trafficking defects may be an underlying cause of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and ciliary-EV interactions have been proposed to play a central role in the biology of PKD. In Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals, PC1 and PC2 act in the same genetic pathway, act in a sensory capacity, localize to cilia, and are contained in secreted EVs, suggesting ancient conservation. However, the relationship between cilia and EVs and the mechanisms generating PC-containing EVs remain an enigma. In a forward genetic screen for regulators of C. elegans PKD-2 ciliary localization, we identified CIL-7, a myristoylated protein that regulates EV biogenesis. Loss of CIL-7 results in male mating behavioral defects, excessive accumulation of EVs in the lumen of the cephalic sensory organ, and failure to release PKD-2::GFP-containing EVs to the environment. Fatty acylation, such as myristoylation and palmitoylation, targets proteins to cilia and flagella. The CIL-7 myristoylation motif is essential for CIL-7 function and for targeting CIL-7 to EVs. C. elegans is a powerful model with which to study ciliary EV biogenesis in vivo and identify cis-targeting motifs such as myristoylation that are necessary for EV-cargo association and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Maguire
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Malan Silva
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Ken C Q Nguyen
- Center for C. elegans Anatomy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | - Elizabeth Hellen
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - Andrew D Kern
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854
| | - David H Hall
- Center for C. elegans Anatomy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
| | - Maureen M Barr
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854
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36
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Ciliary ectosomes: transmissions from the cell's antenna. Trends Cell Biol 2015; 25:276-85. [PMID: 25618328 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cilium is the site of function for a variety of membrane receptors, enzymes and signal transduction modules crucial for a spectrum of cellular processes. Through targeted transport and selective gating mechanisms, the cell localizes specific proteins to the cilium that equip it for the role of sensory antenna. This capacity of the cilium to serve as a specialized compartment where specific proteins can be readily concentrated for sensory reception also makes it an ideal organelle to employ for the regulated emission of specific biological material and information. In this review we present and discuss an emerging body of evidence centered on ciliary ectosomes - bioactive vesicles released from the surface of the cilium.
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Braunreiter K, Hamlin S, Lyman-Gingerich J. Identification and characterization of a novel allele of Caenorhabditis elegans bbs-7. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113737. [PMID: 25486278 PMCID: PMC4259304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia play a role in the sensation of and response to the surrounding environment. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have primary cilia only on the distal tips of some dendrites. In order to better understand the relationship between receptor localization to cilia, cilia structure and cilia function, we have characterized a mutation originally identified in a forward genetic screen for mutants with defective PKD-2 ciliary localization. Through behavioral assays and examination of the structure of cilia in the cil-5 (my13) mutant animals, we have found that my13 disrupts not only receptor localization, but also some cilia-mediated sensory behaviors and cilia structural integrity. We have identified the my13 lesion and found that it is a missense mutation in bbs-7, an ortholog of human BBS-7, a gene known to affect human cilia and to be involved in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Finally, we show that bbs-7(my13) also affects the glia cells which support the cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Braunreiter
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Phillips Hall 330, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Shelby Hamlin
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Phillips Hall 330, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jamie Lyman-Gingerich
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Phillips Hall 330, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Once obscure, the cilium has come into the spotlight during the past decade. It is now clear that aside from generating locomotion by motile cilia, both motile and immotile cilia serve as signaling platforms for the cell. Through both motility and sensory functions, cilia play critical roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. To date, the cilium proteome contains more than 1,000 different proteins, and human genetics is identifying new ciliopathy genes at an increasing pace. Although assigning a function to immotile cilia was a challenge not so long ago, the myriad of signaling pathways, proteins, and biological processes associated with the cilium have now created a new obstacle: how to distill all these interactions into specific themes and mechanisms that may explain how the organelle serves to maintain organism homeostasis. Here, we review the basics of cilia biology, novel functions associated with cilia, and recent advances in cilia genetics, and on the basis of this framework, we further discuss the meaning and significance of ciliary connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiaulou Yuan
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
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Yager M, Emmett M. How Worms' Sex Behavior Can Have a Major Impact on Understanding Human Disease. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2012; 25:395-6. [DOI: 10.1080/08998280.2012.11928890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Bay SN, Caspary T. What are those cilia doing in the neural tube? Cilia 2012; 1:19. [PMID: 23351466 PMCID: PMC3556023 DOI: 10.1186/2046-2530-1-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are present on almost all vertebrate cells, and they have diverse functions in distinct tissues. Cilia are important for sensation in multiple capacities in contexts as different as the retina, kidney, and inner ear. In addition to these roles, cilia play a critical part in various developmental processes. Of particular importance is the development of the neural tube, where cilia are essential for the transduction of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway that specifies neuronal cell fates. This relationship is well established and is the most recognizable function for cilia in the neural tube, but it may be part of a larger picture. Here, we discuss the links between cilia and Shh signaling, as well as suggesting additional roles for cilia, and mechanisms for their placement, in the neural tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Bay
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Warburton-Pitt SRF, Jauregui AR, Li C, Wang J, Leroux MR, Barr MM. Ciliogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans requires genetic interactions between ciliary middle segment localized NPHP-2 (inversin) and transition zone-associated proteins. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:2592-603. [PMID: 22393243 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.095539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cystic kidney diseases nephronophthisis (NPHP), Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS) and Joubert syndrome (JBTS) share an underlying etiology of dysfunctional cilia. Patients diagnosed with NPHP type II have mutations in the gene INVS (also known as NPHP2), which encodes inversin, a cilia localizing protein. Here, we show that the C. elegans inversin ortholog, NPHP-2, localizes to the middle segment of sensory cilia and that nphp-2 is partially redundant with nphp-1 and nphp-4 (orthologs of human NPHP1 and NPHP4, respectively) for cilia placement within the head and tail sensilla. nphp-2 also genetically interacts with MKS ciliopathy gene orthologs, including mks-1, mks-3, mks-6, mksr-1 and mksr-2, in a sensilla-dependent manner to control cilia formation and placement. However, nphp-2 is not required for correct localization of the NPHP- and MKS-encoded ciliary transition zone proteins or for intraflagellar transport (IFT). We conclude that INVS/NPHP2 is conserved in C. elegans and that nphp-2 plays an important role in C. elegans cilia by acting as a modifier of the NPHP and MKS pathways to control cilia formation and development.
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Roy S. Cilia and Hedgehog: when and how was their marriage solemnized? Differentiation 2011; 83:S43-8. [PMID: 22154138 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2011.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 11/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Primary cilia are essential for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in mammals, and this requirement appears to be conserved in other vertebrates as well. Here, I review recent work that has scrutinized the evolution of the link between the Hh pathway and cilia, discuss what we have learnt from these studies and speculate on how this fascinating problem can be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipto Roy
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Proteos, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Singapore.
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Knockdown of microRNA-21 inhibits proliferation and increases cell death by targeting programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Gastrointest Surg 2011; 15:199-208. [PMID: 21088996 DOI: 10.1007/s11605-010-1381-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 10/22/2010] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the expression of a panel of five microRNAs (miRNA) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the functional effect of miR-21 inhibition in PDAC cell lines. BACKGROUND miRNA are short, non-coding RNA molecules, which play important roles in several cellular processes by silencing expression of their target genes through translational repression or mRNA degradation. They are often aberrantly expressed in cancer, and this dysregulation can promote carcinogenesis by altering the expression of tumour suppressor or oncogenes. METHODS miRNA expression levels were measured in 24 PDAC tumour/matched adjacent normal tissue samples and three PDAC cell lines using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Levels of cell proliferation and death and expression of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4; tumour suppressor) were studied in PDAC cells (MIA-Pa-Ca-2) in the absence or presence of a miR-21 inhibitor. RESULTS PDAC primary tissues and cell lines displayed a consistent upregulation of miR-21 (P < 0.0001) and downregulation of both miR-148a (P < 0.0001) and miR-375 (P < 0.0001) relative to adjacent normal tissue. Furthermore, miR-21 levels in the primary tumours correlated with disease stage (P < 0.0001). Inhibition of miR-21 in MIA-Pa-Ca-2 PDAC cells led to reduced cell proliferation (P < 0.01) and increased cell death (P < 0.01), with simultaneous increase in levels of the tumour suppressor, PDCD4 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION miRNA expression profiles may be used as biomarkers for detecting pancreatic cancer. Moreover, miR-21 could be a predictor of disease progression and a possible therapeutic target in part by upregulating PDCD4 in pancreatic cancer.
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Abstract
In animals, RFX transcription factors govern ciliogenesis by binding to an X-box motif in the promoters of ciliogenic genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the sole RFX transcription factor (TF) daf-19 null mutant lacks all sensory cilia, fails to express many ciliogenic genes, and is defective in many sensory behaviors, including male mating. The daf-19c isoform is expressed in all ciliated sensory neurons and is necessary and sufficient for activating X-box containing ciliogenesis genes. Here, we describe the daf-19(n4132) mutant that is defective in expression of the sensory polycystic kidney disease (PKD) gene battery and male mating behavior, without affecting expression of ciliogenic genes or ciliogenesis. daf-19(n4132) disrupts expression of a new isoform, daf-19m (for function in male mating). daf-19m is expressed in male-specific PKD and core IL2 neurons via internal promoters and remote enhancer elements located in introns of the daf-19 genomic locus. daf-19m genetically programs the sensory functions of a subset of ciliated neurons, independent of daf-19c. In the male-specific HOB neuron, DAF-19(M) acts downstream of the zinc finger TF EGL-46, indicating that a TF cascade controls the PKD gene battery in this cell-type specific context. We conclude that the RFX TF DAF-19 regulates ciliogenesis via X-box containing ciliogenic genes and controls ciliary specialization by regulating non-X-box containing sensory genes. This study reveals a more extensive role for RFX TFs in generating fully functional cilia.
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Hurd DD, Miller RM, Núñez L, Portman DS. Specific alpha- and beta-tubulin isotypes optimize the functions of sensory Cilia in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2010; 185:883-96. [PMID: 20421600 PMCID: PMC2907207 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.110.116996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/21/2010] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia have essential roles in transducing signals in eukaryotes. At their core is the ciliary axoneme, a microtubule-based structure that defines cilium morphology and provides a substrate for intraflagellar transport. However, the extent to which axonemal microtubules are specialized for sensory cilium function is unknown. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, primary cilia are present at the dendritic ends of most sensory neurons, where they provide a specialized environment for the transduction of particular stimuli. Here, we find that three tubulin isotypes--the alpha-tubulins TBA-6 and TBA-9 and the beta-tubulin TBB-4--are specifically expressed in overlapping sets of C. elegans sensory neurons and localize to the sensory cilia of these cells. Although cilia still form in mutants lacking tba-6, tba-9, and tbb-4, ciliary function is often compromised: these mutants exhibit a variety of sensory deficits as well as the mislocalization of signaling components. In at least one case, that of the CEM cephalic sensory neurons, cilium architecture is disrupted in mutants lacking specific ciliary tubulins. While there is likely to be some functional redundancy among C. elegans tubulin genes, our results indicate that specific tubulins optimize the functional properties of C. elegans sensory cilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl D. Hurd
- Biology Department, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York 14618, Center for Neural Development and Disease and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 and Department of Biology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367
| | - Renee M. Miller
- Biology Department, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York 14618, Center for Neural Development and Disease and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 and Department of Biology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367
| | - Lizbeth Núñez
- Biology Department, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York 14618, Center for Neural Development and Disease and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 and Department of Biology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367
| | - Douglas S. Portman
- Biology Department, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York 14618, Center for Neural Development and Disease and Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642 and Department of Biology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367
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Miller RM, Portman DS. A latent capacity of the C. elegans polycystins to disrupt sensory transduction is repressed by the single-pass ciliary membrane protein CWP-5. Dis Model Mech 2010; 3:441-50. [PMID: 20223935 PMCID: PMC2898535 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.002816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2009] [Accepted: 10/29/2009] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) results from loss-of-function mutations in PKD1 or PKD2. The products of these genes, the polycystins PC-1 and PC-2, form a transmembrane channel that is necessary for flow sensing by renal cilia. In C. elegans, the polycystin orthologs LOV-1 and PKD-2 function in sensory neurons that mediate male mating behavior. Here, we report that the novel single-pass membrane protein CWP-5 is necessary for polycystin signaling during the response step of mating behavior. As with the polycystins, CWP-5 localizes to neuronal cilia; this localization requires LOV-1. The response defect of cwp-5 mutants does not appear to result from disruption of ciliogenesis or polycystin localization. Instead, genetic and behavioral analyses indicate that CWP-5 represses a previously undescribed antagonistic effect of the polycystins on sensory function. Although cwp-5 does not have a primary-sequence ortholog in vertebrates, it has intriguing parallels with the autosomal recessive PKD gene FPC (also known as PKHD1). Together, this study identifies a new component of C. elegans polycystin signaling, demonstrates that the polycystins have a latent capacity to hinder sensory transduction, and suggests that aberrant functions of the polycystins could contribute to the pathogenesis of PKD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas S. Portman
- Center for Neural Development and Disease
- Department of Biomedical Genetics and
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Johnson JLF, Leroux MR. cAMP and cGMP signaling: sensory systems with prokaryotic roots adopted by eukaryotic cilia. Trends Cell Biol 2010; 20:435-44. [PMID: 20541938 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2010.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2010] [Revised: 05/19/2010] [Accepted: 05/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
An exciting discovery of the new millennium is that primary cilia, organelles found on most eukaryotic cells, play crucial roles in vertebrate development by modulating Hedgehog, Wnt and PDGF signaling. Analysis of the literature and sequence databases reveals that the ancient signal transduction pathway, which uses cGMP in eukaryotes or related cyclic di-GMP in bacteria, exists in virtually all eukaryotes. However, many eukaryotes that secondarily lost cilia during evolution, including flowering plants, slime molds and most fungi, lack otherwise evolutionarily conserved cGMP signaling components. Based on this intriguing phylogenetic distribution, the presence of cGMP signaling proteins within cilia, and the indispensable roles that cGMP plays in transducing environmental signals in divergent ciliated cells (e.g. vertebrate photoreceptors and Caenorhabditis elegans sensory neurons), we propose that cGMP signaling has a strong ciliary basis. cAMP signaling, also inherent to bacteria and crucial for cilium-dependent olfaction, similarly appears to have widespread usage in diverse cilia. Thus, we argue here that both cyclic nucleotides play essential and potentially ubiquitous roles in modulating ciliary functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacque-Lynne F Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Tong YG, Bürglin TR. Conditions for dye-filling of sensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci Methods 2010; 188:58-61. [PMID: 20149821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Revised: 01/28/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Dye-filling is a common method used to stain Caenorhabditis elegans sensory neurons in vivo. While the amphids and phasmids are easy to stain, a subset of sensory neurons, the IL2 neurons, are difficult to stain reproducibly. Here we examined the conditions under which the IL2 neurons take up the lipophilic fluorescent dye DiI. We find that IL2 dye-filling depends on salt concentration, but not osmolarity. Low salt prior and during incubation is important for efficient dye uptake. Additional parameters that affect dye-filling are the speed of shaking during incubation and the addition of detergents. Our modified dye-filling procedure provides a reliable method to distinguish mutant alleles that stain amphids and phasmids, IL2 neurons, or both. An additional benefit is that it can also stain the excretory duct. The method allows genetic screens to be performed to identify mutants that selectively affect only one of the sensory structures or the excretory duct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Guang Tong
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
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Inglis PN, Blacque OE, Leroux MR. Functional genomics of intraflagellar transport-associated proteins in C. elegans. Methods Cell Biol 2009; 93:267-304. [PMID: 20409822 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-679x(08)93014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans presents numerous advantages for the identification and molecular analysis of intraflagellar transport (IFT)-associated proteins, which play a critical role in the formation of cilia. Many proteins were first described as participating in IFT in this organism, including IFTA-1 (IFT121), DYF-1 (fleer/IFT70), DYF-2 (IFT144), DYF-3 (Qilin), DYF-11 (MIP-T3/IFT54), DYF-13, XBX-1 (dynein light intermediate chain), XBX-2 (dynein light chain), CHE-13 (IFT57/HIPPI), orthologs of Bardet-Biedl syndrome proteins, and potential regulatory protein, IFTA-2 (RABL5/IFT22). Transgenic animals bearing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged proteins can be generated with ease, and in vivo imaging of IFT in both wild-type and cilia mutant strains can be performed quickly. The analyses permit detailed information on the localization and dynamic properties (velocities along the ciliary axoneme) of the relevant proteins, providing insights into their potential functions in processes such as anterograde and retrograde transport and cilium formation, as well as association with distinct modules of the IFT machinery (e.g., IFT subcomplexes A or B). Behavioral studies of the corresponding IFT-associated gene mutants further enable an understanding of the ciliary role of the proteins-e.g., in chemosensation, lipid homeostasis, lifespan control, and signaling-in a multicellular animal. In this chapter, we discuss how C. elegans can be used for the identification and characterization of IFT-associated proteins, focusing on methods for the generation of GFP-tagged IFT reporter strains, time-lapse microscopy, and IFT rate measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter N Inglis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby BC V5A1S6, Canada
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Bae YK, Kim E, L'Hernault SW, Barr MM. The CIL-1 PI 5-phosphatase localizes TRP Polycystins to cilia and activates sperm in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2009; 19:1599-607. [PMID: 19781942 PMCID: PMC2762383 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2009] [Revised: 08/14/2009] [Accepted: 08/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND C. elegans male sexual behaviors include chemotaxis and response to hermaphrodites, backing, turning, vulva location, spicule insertion, and sperm transfer, culminating in cross-fertilization of hermaphrodite oocytes with male sperm. The LOV-1 and PKD-2 transient receptor potential polycystin (TRPP) complex localizes to ciliated endings of C. elegans male-specific sensory neurons and mediates several aspects of male mating behavior. TRPP complex ciliary localization and sensory function are evolutionarily conserved. A genetic screen for C. elegans mutants with PKD-2 ciliary localization (Cil) defects led to the isolation of a mutation in the cil-1 gene. RESULTS Here, we report that a phosphoinositide (PI) 5-phosphatase, CIL-1, regulates TRPP complex ciliary receptor localization and sperm activation. cil-1 does not regulate the localization of other ciliary proteins, including intraflagellar transport (IFT) components, sensory receptors, or other TRP channels in different cell types. Rather, cil-1 specifically controls TRPP complex trafficking in male-specific sensory neurons and does so in a cell-autonomous fashion. In these cells, cil-1 is required for normal PI(3)P distribution, indicating that a balance between PI(3,5)P2 and PI(3)P is important for TRPP localization. cil-1 mutants are infertile because of sperm activation and motility defects. In sperm, the CIL-1 5-phosphatase and a wortmannin-sensitive PI 3-kinase act antagonistically to regulate the conversion of sessile spermatids into motile spermatozoa, implicating PI(3,4,5)P3 signaling in nematode sperm activation. CONCLUSION Our studies identify the CIL-1 5-phosphatase as a key regulator of PI metabolism in cell types that are important in several aspects of male reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Kyung Bae
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Eunsoo Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, 5850 College St., Halifax NS B3H 1X5 Canada
| | | | - Maureen M. Barr
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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