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Updated: Oct 28, 2025

Volumetric Imaging and Analysis of Primary Cilia in Musculoskeletal Tissue using the ARL13B-CENTRIN-2 Mouse Model
Published on: March 28, 2025
Myocardin-related transcription factor and serum response factor regulate cilium turnover by both transcriptional and
Pam Speight1, Matthew Rozycki1, Shruthi Venugopal1
1Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of the St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Room 621, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada.
Abstract:
Turnover of the primary cilium (PC) is critical for proliferation and tissue homeostasis. Each key component of the PC resorption machinery, the HEF1/Aurora kinase A (AurA)/HDAC6 pathway harbors cis-elements potentially targeted by the transcriptional co-activator myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF) and/or its partner serum response factor (SRF). Thus we investigated if MRTF and/or SRF regulate PC turnover. Here we show that (1) both MRTF and SRF are indispensable for serum-induced PC resorption, and (2) they act via both transcriptional and local mechanisms. Intriguingly, MRTF and SRF are present in the basal body and/or the PC, and serum facilitates ciliary MRTF recruitment. MRTF promotes the stability and ciliary accumulation of AurA and facilitates SRF phosphorylation. Ciliary SRF interacts with AurA and HDAC6. MRTF also inhibits ciliogenesis. It interacts with and is required for the correct localization of the ciliogenesis modulator CEP290. Thus, MRTF and SRF are critical regulators of PC assembly and/or disassembly, acting both as transcription factors and as PC constituents.
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