title: Ciliary heterogeneity within a single cell: the Paramecium model.
abstract: Paramecium is a single cell able to divide in its morphologically differentiated stage that has many cilia anchored at its cell surface. Many thousands of cilia are thus assembled in a short period of time during division to duplicate the cell pattern while the cell continues swimming. Most, but not all, of these sensory cilia are motile and involved in two main functions: prey capture and cell locomotion. These cilia display heterogeneity, both in their length and their biochemical properties. Thanks to these properties, as well as to the availability of many postgenomic tools and the possibility to follow the regrowth of cilia after deciliation, Paramecium offers a nice opportunity to study the assembly of the cilia, as well as the genesis of their diversity within a single cell. In this paper, after a brief survey of Paramecium morphology and cilia properties, we describe the tools and the protocols currently used for immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry to analyze cilia, with special recommendations to overcome the problem raised by cilium diversity.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bat 26 Allée de la terrasse, 91 198 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aubusson-Fleury
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bat 26 Allée de la terrasse, 91 198 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Bat 26 Allée de la terrasse, 91 198 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lemullois
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D064652:Basal Bodies / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D010247:Paramecium / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014404:Tubulin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014404:Tubulin
keywords: Basal body; Ciliates; Ciliogenesis; Cilium; Deciliation; Transition zone; Tubulin posttranslational modification