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Related Concept Videos

Microtubules in Signaling01:22

Microtubules in Signaling

The primary cilium, made up of microtubules, acts as antennae on the cell surfaces for relaying external stimuli into the cells. These fine hair-like structures are present, generally one per cell. These are non-motile cilia in a 9+0 microtubules arrangement, where the central pair of microtubules are absent. The primary cilia arise from the basal body embedded in the cell membrane. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) carries requisite proteins from the cytoplasm to the cilium because the primary...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion01:05

Mechanism of Ciliary Motion

The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
Mechanism of Filopodia Formation01:39

Mechanism of Filopodia Formation

Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Centrioles and Centrosomes01:13

Centrioles and Centrosomes

Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
Near the end of the prophase, also called late prophase or "prometaphase,"...

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2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development
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2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development

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How did the cilium evolve?

Peter Satir1, David R Mitchell, Gáspár Jékely

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.

Current Topics in Developmental Biology
|January 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The evolution of eukaryotic cilia, essential for cell function, likely arose from two pathways: viral invasion or autogenous formation. The intraflagellar transport system, crucial for cilia, originated from the intracellular vesicular transport system.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cilia are complex eukaryotic organelles composed of over 600 proteins, distinct from bacterial flagella.
  • The 9+2 motile cilium structure predates the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA).
  • Understanding cilium evolution is key to comprehending early eukaryotic cell diversification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore and compare two proposed evolutionary origins of the cilium.
  • To elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery.
  • To investigate the roles of sensory functions and motility in ciliary evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of proposed evolutionary pathways for cilium formation.
  • Tracing the origins of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) system from intracellular transport.
  • Examining the evolutionary timeline of ciliary sensory functions and motility.

Main Results:

  • Two primary evolutionary routes for cilia are proposed: viral endosymbiosis or de novo formation from a microtubule-organizing center (MTOC).
  • The intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery likely co-opted components from the intracellular vesicular transport system.
  • Ciliary sensory functions appear to have preceded the evolution of motility.

Conclusions:

  • Cilium evolution is a complex process with multiple potential contributing factors.
  • The IFT system's integration with vesicular transport highlights the adaptability of cellular machinery.
  • The gradual evolution of the ciliary axoneme, driven by motility, underscores natural selection's role.