Faculty Opinions recommendation of The molecular identities of the Caenorhabditis elegans intraflagellar transport genes dyf-6, daf-10 and osm-1.

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shai Shaham
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport

scholarly journals The Caenorhabditis elegans nephrocystins act as global modifiers of cilium structure

2008 ◽  
Vol 180 (5) ◽  
pp. 973-988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Jauregui ◽  
Ken C.Q. Nguyen ◽  
David H. Hall ◽  
Maureen M. Barr
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Basal Bodies ◽  
Structural Components ◽  
Transition Zones ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Cell Type Specific ◽  
Children And Young Adults ◽  
Stage Renal Disease ◽  
End Stage

Nephronophthisis (NPHP) is the most common genetic cause of end-stage renal disease in children and young adults. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammals, the NPHP1 and NPHP4 gene products nephrocystin-1 and nephrocystin-4 localize to basal bodies or ciliary transition zones (TZs), but their function in this location remains unknown. We show here that loss of C. elegans NPHP-1 and NPHP-4 from TZs is tolerated in developing cilia but causes changes in localization of specific ciliary components and a broad range of subtle axonemal ultrastructural defects. In amphid channel cilia, nphp-4 mutations cause B tubule defects that further disrupt intraflagellar transport (IFT). We propose that NPHP-1 and NPHP-4 act globally at the TZ to regulate ciliary access of the IFT machinery, axonemal structural components, and signaling molecules, and that perturbing this balance results in cell type–specific phenotypes.

scholarly journals Somatic CRISPR–Cas9-induced mutations reveal roles of embryonically essential dynein chains in Caenorhabditis elegans cilia

2015 ◽  
Vol 208 (6) ◽  
pp. 683-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjing Li ◽  
Peishan Yi ◽  
Guangshuo Ou
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Light Chains ◽  
Induced Mutations ◽  
Functional Studies ◽  
Cilium Formation ◽  
Dynein Intermediate Chain ◽  
Intermediate Chain

Cilium formation and maintenance require intraflagellar transport (IFT). Although much is known about kinesin-2–driven anterograde IFT, the composition and regulation of retrograde IFT-specific dynein remain elusive. Components of cytoplasmic dynein may participate in IFT; however, their essential roles in cell division preclude functional studies in postmitotic cilia. Here, we report that inducible expression of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–Cas9 system in Caenorhabditis elegans generated conditional mutations in IFT motors and particles, recapitulating ciliary defects in their null mutants. Using this method to bypass the embryonic requirement, we show the following: the dynein intermediate chain, light chain LC8, and lissencephaly-1 regulate retrograde IFT; the dynein light intermediate chain functions in dendrites and indirectly contributes to ciliogenesis; and the Tctex and Roadblock light chains are dispensable for cilium assembly. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these components undergo biphasic IFT with distinct transport frequencies and turnaround behaviors. Together, our results suggest that IFT–dynein and cytoplasmic dynein have unique compositions but also share components and regulatory mechanisms.

scholarly journals Illuminating the Intraflagellar Transport Machinery of Caenorhabditis Elegans

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 377a-378a
Author(s):  
Bram Prevo ◽  
Pierre J.J. Mangeol ◽  
Jonathan M. Scholey ◽  
Erwin J.G. Peterman
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport

scholarly journals Chlamydomonas IFT70/CrDYF-1 Is a Core Component of IFT Particle Complex B and Is Required for Flagellar Assembly

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 2696-2706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen-Chuan Fan ◽  
Robert H. Behal ◽  
Stefan Geimer ◽  
Zhaohui Wang ◽  
Shana M. Williamson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii ◽  
Posttranslational Modification ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Apparent Size ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Core Component ◽  
B Subunit ◽  
Flagellar Assembly

DYF-1 is a highly conserved protein essential for ciliogenesis in several model organisms. In Caenorhabditis elegans, DYF-1 serves as an essential activator for an anterograde motor OSM-3 of intraflagellar transport (IFT), the ciliogenesis-required motility that mediates the transport of flagellar precursors and removal of turnover products. In zebrafish and Tetrahymena DYF-1 influences the cilia tubulin posttranslational modification and may have more ubiquitous function in ciliogenesis than OSM-3. Here we address how DYF-1 biochemically interacts with the IFT machinery by using the model organism Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in which the anterograde IFT does not depend on OSM-3. Our results show that this protein is a stoichiometric component of the IFT particle complex B and interacts directly with complex B subunit IFT46. In concurrence with the established IFT protein nomenclature, DYF-1 is also named IFT70 after the apparent size of the protein. IFT70/CrDYF-1 is essential for the function of IFT in building the flagellum because the flagella of IFT70/CrDYF-1–depleted cells were greatly shortened. Together, these results demonstrate that IFT70/CrDYF-1 is a canonical subunit of IFT particle complex B and strongly support the hypothesis that the IFT machinery has species- and tissue-specific variations with functional ramifications.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans DYF-2, an Orthologue of Human WDR19, Is a Component of the Intraflagellar Transport Machinery in Sensory Cilia

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 4801-4811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeni Efimenko ◽  
Oliver E. Blacque ◽  
Guangshuo Ou ◽  
Courtney J. Haycraft ◽  
Bradley K. Yoder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Bardet Biedl Syndrome ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Sensory Cilia ◽  
Mutant Phenotypes ◽  
And Function

The intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery required to build functional cilia consists of a multisubunit complex whose molecular composition, organization, and function are poorly understood. Here, we describe a novel tryptophan-aspartic acid (WD) repeat (WDR) containing IFT protein from Caenorhabditis elegans, DYF-2, that plays a critical role in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the IFT machinery. We determined the identity of the dyf-2 gene by transgenic rescue of mutant phenotypes and by sequencing of mutant alleles. Loss of DYF-2 function selectively affects the assembly and motility of different IFT components and leads to defects in cilia structure and chemosensation in the nematode. Based on these observations, and the analysis of DYF-2 movement in a Bardet–Biedl syndrome mutant with partially disrupted IFT particles, we conclude that DYF-2 can associate with IFT particle complex B. At the same time, mutations in dyf-2 can interfere with the function of complex A components, suggesting an important role of this protein in the assembly of the IFT particle as a whole. Importantly, the mouse orthologue of DYF-2, WDR19, also localizes to cilia, pointing to an important evolutionarily conserved role for this WDR protein in cilia development and function.

A cilia-mediated environmental input induces solitary behaviour in Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus nematodes

Nematology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Moreno ◽  
Ralf J. Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Large Protein ◽  
Pristionchus Pacificus ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
The Social ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Social Behaviours ◽  
Ciliated Neurons

Nematodes respond to a multitude of environmental cues. For example, the social behaviours clumping and bordering were described as a mechanism of hyperoxia avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus. A recent study in P. pacificus revealed a novel regulatory pathway that inhibits social behaviour in a response to an as yet unknown environmental cue. This environmental signal is recognised by ciliated neurons, as mutants defective in intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins display social behaviours. The IFT machinery represents a large protein complex and many mutants in genes encoding IFT proteins are available in C. elegans. However, social phenotypes in C. elegans IFT mutants have never been reported. Here, we examined 15 previously isolated C. elegans IFT mutants and found that most of them showed strong social behaviour. These findings indicate conservation in the inhibitory mechanism of social behaviour between P. pacificus and C. elegans.

scholarly journals WDR60-mediated dynein-2 loading into cilia powers retrograde IFT and transition zone crossing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana R. G. De-Castro ◽  
Diogo R. M. Rodrigues ◽  
Maria J. G. De-Castro ◽  
Neide Vieira ◽  
Carmen Vieira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Genome Editing ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Live Imaging ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
Motor Complex ◽  
Distal Side ◽  
Intermediate Chain

The dynein-2 motor complex drives retrograde intraflagellar transport (IFT), playing a pivotal role in the assembly and functions of cilia. However, the mechanisms that regulate dynein-2 motility remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the Caenorhabditis elegans WDR60 homolog (WDR-60) and dissect the roles of this intermediate chain using genome editing and live imaging of endogenous dynein-2/IFT components. We find that loss of WDR-60 impairs dynein-2 recruitment to cilia and its incorporation onto anterograde IFT trains, reducing the availability of the retrograde motor at the ciliary tip. Consistently, we show that less dynein-2 motors power WDR-60-deficient retrograde IFT trains, which move at reduced velocities and fail to exit cilia, accumulating on the distal side of the transition zone. Remarkably, disrupting the transition zone's NPHP module almost fully restores ciliary exit of underpowered retrograde trains in wdr-60 mutants. This work establishes WDR-60 as a major contributor to IFT and the NPHP module as a roadblock to dynein-2 passage through the transition zone.

scholarly journals Functional modulation of IFT kinesins extends the sensory repertoire of ciliated neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans

2006 ◽  
Vol 172 (5) ◽  
pp. 663-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Evans ◽  
Joshua J. Snow ◽  
Amy L. Gunnarson ◽  
Guangshuo Ou ◽  
Henning Stahlberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Intraflagellar Transport ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Sensory Cilia ◽  
Section Electron ◽  
Functional Modulation ◽  
Serial Section Electron Microscopy ◽  
Section Electron Microscopy ◽  
Ciliated Neurons

The diversity of sensory cilia on Caenorhabditis elegans neurons allows the animal to detect a variety of sensory stimuli. Sensory cilia are assembled by intraflagellar transport (IFT) kinesins, which transport ciliary precursors, bound to IFT particles, along the ciliary axoneme for incorporation into ciliary structures. Using fluorescence microscopy of living animals and serial section electron microscopy of high pressure–frozen, freeze-substituted IFT motor mutants, we found that two IFT kinesins, homodimeric OSM-3 kinesin and heterotrimeric kinesin II, function in a partially redundant manner to build full-length amphid channel cilia but are completely redundant for building full-length amphid wing (AWC) cilia. This difference reflects cilia-specific differences in OSM-3 activity, which serves to extend distal singlets in channel cilia but not in AWC cilia, which lack such singlets. Moreover, AWC-specific chemotaxis assays reveal novel sensory functions for kinesin II in these wing cilia. We propose that kinesin II is a “canonical” IFT motor, whereas OSM-3 is an “accessory” IFT motor, and that subtle changes in the deployment or actions of these IFT kinesins can contribute to differences in cilia morphology, cilia function, and sensory perception.

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