Composition and function of the C1b/C1f region in the ciliary central apparatus

Motile cilia are ultrastructurally complex cell organelles with the ability to actively move. The highly conserved central apparatus of motile 9 × 2 + 2 cilia is composed of two microtubules and several large microtubule-bound projections, including the C1b/C1f supercomplex. The composition and function of C1b/C1f subunits has only recently started to emerge. We show that in the model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, C1b/C1f contains several evolutionarily conserved proteins: Spef2A, Cfap69, Cfap246/LRGUK, Adgb/androglobin, and a ciliate-specific protein Tt170/TTHERM_00205170. Deletion of genes encoding either Spef2A or Cfap69 led to a loss of the entire C1b projection and resulted in an abnormal vortex motion of cilia. Loss of either Cfap246 or Adgb caused only minor alterations in ciliary motility. Comparative analyses of wild-type and C1b-deficient mutant ciliomes revealed that the levels of subunits forming the adjacent C2b projection but not C1d projection are greatly reduced, indicating that C1b stabilizes C2b. Moreover, the levels of several IFT and BBS proteins, HSP70, and enzymes that catalyze the final steps of the glycolytic pathway: enolase ENO1 and pyruvate kinase PYK1, are also reduced in the C1b-less mutants

Role of the Novel Hsp90 Co-Chaperones in Dynein Arms’ Preassembly

The outer and inner dynein arms (ODAs and IDAs) are composed of multiple subunits including dynein heavy chains possessing a motor domain. These complex structures are preassembled in the cytoplasm before being transported to the cilia. The molecular mechanism(s) controlling dynein arms’ preassembly is poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that canonical R2TP complex, an Hsp-90 co-chaperone, in cooperation with dynein axonemal assembly factors (DNAAFs), plays a crucial role in the preassembly of ODAs and IDAs. Here, we have summarized recent data concerning the identification of novel chaperone complexes and their role in dynein arms’ preassembly and their association with primary cilia dyskinesia (PCD), a human genetic disorder

Tubulin posttranslational modifications

Zarówno wolna tubulina, jak i tubulina wbudowana w mikrotubule może być modyfikowana potranslacyjnie poprzez przyłączenie różnorodnych grup funkcyjnych. Wśród kilkunastu zidentyfikowanych modyfikacji α- i β-tubuliny, przynajmniej niektóre zmiany potranslacyjne, jak acetylacja, detyrozynacja czy glutamylacja są zachowane w toku ewolucji od pierwotniaków do człowieka. Modyfikacje potranslacyjne tworzą specyficzny wzór na powierzchni mikrotubul, nazwany kodem tubulinowym, który jest rozpoznawany i "interpretowany" przez białka oddziałujące z mikrotubulami. W efekcie modyfikacje potranslacyjne tubuliny wpływają zarówno bezpośrednio na właściwości mikrotubul, jak i pośrednio, przez białka towarzyszące mikrotubulom. Poziom modyfikacji potranslacyjnych tubuliny na poszczególnych mikrotubulach jest zróżnicowany i zależy od rodzaju tworzonych struktur mikrotubularnych oraz typu komórek. Dodatkowo, poziom modyfikacji potranslacyjnych tubuliny może zmieniać się zależnie od stadium cyklu komórkowego lub stopnia zróżnicowania komórki. Intensywne badania prowadzone w ciągu ostatnich lat zaowocowały odkryciem kluczowych enzymów modyfikujących α- i β-tubulinę oraz częściowo, mechanizmu ich działania. Nadal jednak jesteśmy dalecy od pełnego zrozumienia roli modyfikacji potranslacyjnych mikrotubul w regulacji procesów komórkowych.Both, free tubulin and tubulin incorporated into microtubules can be extensively posttranslationally modified. Among numerous identified modifications of α- and β-tubulin, at least some modifications such as acetylation, detyrosination or glutamylation are highly evolutionarily conserved from protists to man. The posttranslational modifications of tubulin form a specific pattern on the microtubule surface, called a tubulin code, that is recognized and interpreted by microtubule interacting proteins. Thus, tubulin posttranslational modifications can affect the microtubule properties, both directly and indirectly, by regulating the interactions with microtubule associated proteins. The level of the tubulin posttranslational modifications vary on different types of microtubules and depends upon the type of the microtubular structures and the cell type. Additionally, the levels of tubulin modifications can change during the cell cycle and cell differentiation. The extensive studies carried out during the last years resulted in a discovery of some of the key enzymes that modify α- and β-tubulin as well as partial understanding of the mechanisms of their action. However, despite all the efforts we are still far from the full understanding of the significance of the microtubule posttranslational modifications in the regulation of cellular processes

Cfap91-Dependent Stability of the RS2 and RS3 Base Proteins and Adjacent Inner Dynein Arms in Tetrahymena Cilia

Motile cilia and eukaryotic flagella are specific cell protrusions that are conserved from protists to humans. They are supported by a skeleton composed of uniquely organized microtubules—nine peripheral doublets and two central singlets (9 × 2 + 2). Microtubules also serve as docking sites for periodically distributed multiprotein ciliary complexes. Radial spokes, the T-shaped ciliary complexes, repeat along the outer doublets as triplets and transduce the regulatory signals from the cilium center to the outer doublet-docked dynein arms. Using the genetic, proteomic, and microscopic approaches, we have shown that lack of Tetrahymena Cfap91 protein affects stable docking/positioning of the radial spoke RS3 and the base of RS2, and adjacent inner dynein arms, possibly due to the ability of Cfap91 to interact with a molecular ruler protein, Ccdc39. The localization studies confirmed that the level of RS3-specific proteins, Cfap61 and Cfap251, as well as RS2-associated Cfap206, are significantly diminished in Tetrahymena CFAP91-KO cells. Cilia of Tetrahymena cells with knocked-out CFAP91 beat in an uncoordinated manner and their beating frequency is dramatically reduced. Consequently, CFAP91-KO cells swam about a hundred times slower than wild-type cells. We concluded that Tetrahymena Cfap91 localizes at the base of radial spokes RS2 and RS3 and likely plays a role in the radial spoke(s) positioning and stability