Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development
14:19

2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development

Published on: March 25, 2022

K-Ras controls asymmetric cell divisions from the primary cilium

Rohan Chippalkatti1, Elisabeth Schaffner-Reckinger1, Anthoula Gaigneaux2

  • 1Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery group, Department of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.

Cell Death & Disease
|July 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

K-Ras4B protein sustains cell ciliation during differentiation, controlling stem cell commitment. This finding reveals a novel role for K-Ras4B in differentiation and links RASopathies to ciliopathies.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The Ras-MAPK pathway regulates critical cellular functions like proliferation and differentiation.
  • The precise mechanisms by which Ras proteins control cell differentiation remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of K-Ras4B in skeletal muscle stem and progenitor cell differentiation.
  • To investigate the relationship between K-Ras4B, primary cilia, and cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Mathematical modeling
  • Single-cell RNA sequencing
  • In vivo studies in zebrafish embryogenesis
  • Analysis of protein localization and interactions within primary cilia

Main Results:

  • K-Ras4B sustains primary cilia during differentiation, restricting the commitment of skeletal muscle stem and progenitor cells.
  • Abnormal K-Ras4B levels or oncogenic mutations (K-Ras4B-G12C) disrupt normal differentiation processes.
  • K-Ras4B localizes to primary cilia, where it interacts with components of the MAPK pathway (B-Raf, MEK, ERK).
  • Targeted localization of K-Ras4B to cilia rescues normal differentiation, and in vivo modulation affects ciliation-dependent development.

Conclusions:

  • K-Ras4B plays a fundamental, previously unrecognized role in regulating cell differentiation through the control of primary cilia.
  • This study provides a mechanistic link between RASopathies and ciliopathies, explaining shared phenotypic characteristics.

More Related Videos

Using Primary Neurosphere Cultures to Study Primary Cilia08:14

Using Primary Neurosphere Cultures to Study Primary Cilia

Published on: April 14, 2017

Simple Detection of Primary Cilia by Immunofluorescence08:07

Simple Detection of Primary Cilia by Immunofluorescence

Published on: May 15, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Microtubules in Signaling01:22

Microtubules in Signaling

The primary cilium, made up of microtubules, acts as antennae on the cell surfaces for relaying external stimuli into the cells. These fine hair-like structures are present, generally one per cell. These are non-motile cilia in a 9+0 microtubules arrangement, where the central pair of microtubules are absent. The primary cilia arise from the basal body embedded in the cell membrane. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) carries requisite proteins from the cytoplasm to the cilium because the primary...
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins01:21

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...
The Ras Gene02:38

The Ras Gene

The Ras-gene-encoded proteins are regulators of signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, or cell survival. The Ras-gene family in humans constitutes three primary members—the HRas, NRas, and KRas. These genes code for four functionally distinct yet closely related proteins—the HRas, NRas, KRas4A, and KRas4B. The involvement of mutant Ras genes in human cancer was first discovered in 1982 and is among the most common causes of human tumorigenesis.
Ras is a superfamily...
The Contractile Ring02:15

The Contractile Ring

Contractile rings are composed of microfilaments and are responsible for separating the daughter cells during cytokinesis. Contractile ring assembly proceeds along with other cell cycle events; however, very few mechanistic details are known about the timing and coordination of the contractile rings with the cell cycle.
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker proteins that...
Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...