Deuterosomal cells are the responsible lineage for multiciliogenesis in human airway differentiation

Multiciliated cells (MCCs) are pivotal in airway defense via their motile cilia to eliminate inhaled pathogens and particles. Genetic variants in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) disrupt ciliary function, resulting in chronic respiratory infections. The formation of MCCs requires centriole amplification mediated by non-membranous organelles called deuterosomes, whose regulatory mechanisms remain poorly characterized in humans. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses have identified "deuterosomal cells" (DCs), a transient cell population that emerges during multiciliogenesis. DCs are challenging to investigate owing to their scarcity. To elucidate the role of DCs, iPSC-derived airway epithelial cells were used to identify CD36 as a specific surface marker. Furthermore, iPSCs were established from a patient with PCD harboring Cyclin O (CCNO) variants, along with gene-corrected controls. Patient-derived iPSCs demonstrated defective MCC differentiation and aberrant DCs attributed to CCNO deficiency. This study provides a human iPSC-based platform for investigating the mechanisms underlying airway multiciliogenesis and PCD modeling.