Intraflagellar transport and cilium-based signaling.
Cilia are specialized structures that not only play diverse roles in cell motility but also transmit signals to the cytoplasm and nucleus to control gene expression, cell function, animal development, and behavior. Cilia are assembled and maintained by the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery, which coordinates rapid, bidirectional transport between the cell body and the distal tip of the cilium. A new study (Wang et al., 2006) illuminates the role of IFT in cilium-based signaling during mating in the alga Chlamydomonas.
Scholey
Jonathan M
JM
Center for Genetics and Development, Section of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jmscholey@ucdavis.edu
Anderson
Kathryn V
KV