Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Volumetric Imaging and Analysis of Primary Cilia in Musculoskeletal Tissue using the ARL13B-CENTRIN-2 Mouse Model
Published on: March 28, 2025
The emerging role of Arf/Arl small GTPases in cilia and ciliopathies
Yujie Li1, Kun Ling, Jinghua Hu
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. li.yujie@mayo.edu
Abstract:
Once overlooked as an evolutionary vestige, the primary cilium has recently been the focus of intensive studies. Mounting data show that this organelle is a hub for various signaling pathways during vertebrate embryonic development and pattern formation. However, how cilia form and how cilia execute the sensory function still remain poorly understood. Cilia dysfunction is correlated with a wide spectrum of human diseases, now termed ciliopathies. Various small GTPases, including the members in Arf/Arl, Rab, and Ran subfamilies, have been implicated in cilia formation and/or function. Here we review and discuss the role of one particular group of small GTPase, Arf/Arl, in the context of cilia and ciliopathy.
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