Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Visualization of ATP Synthase Dimers in Mitochondria by Electron Cryo-tomography
Published on: September 14, 2014
Conserved role of ATP synthase in mammalian cilia
Wenjun Lin1, Cheng Qiao1, Jinghua Hu2
1Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China.
Abstract:
We previously found that ATP synthases localize to male-specific sensory cilia and control the ciliary response by regulating polycystin signalling in Caenorhabditis elegans. Herein, we discovered that the ciliary localization of ATP synthase is evolutionarily conserved in mammals. We showed that the ATP synthase subunit F1β is colocalized with the cilia marker acetylated α-tubulin in both mammalian renal epithelial cells (MDCK) and normal mouse cholangiocytes (NMCs). Treatment with ATP synthase inhibitor oligomycin impaired ciliogenesis in MDCK cells, and F1β was co-immunoprecipitated with PKD2 in mammalian cells. Our study provides evidence for the evolutionarily conserved localization of ATP synthase in cilia from worm to mammals. Defects in ATP synthase can lead to ciliary dysfunction, which may be a potential mechanism of polycystic kidney disease.
Related Concept Videos
ATP Synthase: Structure
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
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...
ATP Synthase: Mechanism
Microtubules in Cell Motility
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
ATP Driven Pumps III: V-type Pumps
The peripheral or cytosolic V1 domain with eight subunits is involved in ATP hydrolysis. The integral or transmembrane V0 domain containing at least five subunits...

