CMF22 is a broadly conserved axonemal protein and is required for propulsive motility in Trypanosoma brucei

The eukaryotic flagellum (or cilium) is a broadly conserved organelle that provides motility for many pathogenic protozoa and is critical for normal development and physiology in humans. Therefore, defining core components of motile axonemes enhances understanding of eukaryotic biology and provides insight into mechanisms of inherited and infectious diseases in humans. In this study, we show that component of motile flagella 22 (CMF22) is tightly associated with the flagellar axoneme and is likely to have been present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. The CMF22 amino acid sequence contains predicted IQ and ATPase associated with a variety of cellular activities (AAA) motifs that are conserved among CMF22 orthologues in diverse organisms, hinting at the importance of these domains in CMF22 function. Knockdown by RNA interference (RNAi) and rescue with an RNAi-immune mRNA demonstrated that CMF22 is required for propulsive cell motility in Trypanosoma brucei. Loss of propulsive motility in CMF22-knockdown cells was due to altered flagellar beating patterns, rather than flagellar paralysis, indicating that CMF22 is essential for motility regulation and likely functions as a fundamental regulatory component of motile axonemes. CMF22 association with the axoneme is weakened in mutants that disrupt the nexin-dynein regulatory complex, suggesting potential interaction with this complex. Our results provide insight into the core machinery required for motility of eukaryotic flagella.