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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Studying Membrane Protein Trafficking in Drosophila Photoreceptor Cells Using eGFP-Tagged Proteins
Published on: January 21, 2022
Spatial distribution of intraflagellar transport proteins in vertebrate photoreceptors
Katherine Luby-Phelps1, Joseph Fogerty, Sheila A Baker
1Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509, USA.
Abstract:
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) of a approximately 17S particle containing at least 16 distinct polypeptides is required for the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella. Although both genetic and biochemical evidence suggest a role for IFT in vertebrate photoreceptors, the spatial distribution of IFT proteins within photoreceptors remains poorly defined. We have evaluated the distribution of 4 IFT proteins using a combination of immunocytochemistry and rod-specific overexpression of GFP tagged IFT proteins. Endogenous IFT proteins are most highly concentrated within the inner segment, around the basal body, and within the outer segment IFT proteins are localized in discrete particles along the entire length of the axoneme. IFT52-GFP and IFT57-GFP mimicked this pattern in transgenic Xenopus.
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