title: Distinct IFT mechanisms contribute to the generation of ciliary structural diversity in C. elegans.
abstract: Individual cell types can elaborate morphologically diverse cilia. Cilia are assembled via intraflagellar transport (IFT) of ciliary precursors; however, the mechanisms that generate ciliary diversity are unknown. Here, we examine IFT in the structurally distinct cilia of the ASH/ASI and the AWB chemosensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, enabling us to compare IFT in specific cilia types. We show that unlike in the ASH/ASI cilia, the OSM-3 kinesin moves independently of the kinesin-II motor in the AWB cilia. Although OSM-3 is essential to extend the distal segments of the ASH/ASI cilia, it is not required to build the AWB distal segments. Mutations in the fkh-2 forkhead domain gene result in AWB-specific defects in ciliary morphology, and FKH-2 regulates kinesin-II subunit gene expression specifically in AWB. Our results suggest that cell-specific regulation of IFT contributes to the generation of ciliary diversity, and provide insights into the networks coupling the acquisition of ciliary specializations with other aspects of cell fate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 2454, USA.
authors.forename: Saikat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hongmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanjuin
authors.forename: Shai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaham
authors.forename: Piali
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sengupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001692:Biological Transport; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002923:Cilia / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016547:Kinesins / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C093002:OSM-3 protein, C elegans; C074152:kinesin-II; D016547:Kinesins