title: Ciliary function and motor protein composition of human fallopian tubes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  What is the motor protein composition and function of human fallopian tube (FT) cilia?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the motor protein composition and function of human FT cilia resemble that of respiratory cilia, females with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) are not necessarily infertile.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  FTs are lined with multiple motile cilia, which show a 9 + 2 ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy. Case reports suggest an increased incidence of subfertility and ectopic pregnancy in women with PCD, a disease characterized by dysfunction of motile cilia and flagella.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of an observational laboratory study on human FT specimens from five healthy females recruited from April 2012 to December 2013 and a descriptive observational retrospective analysis of a clinical PCD database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human FT tissue was obtained from five healthy females after tubal ligation during caesarean delivery. Motor protein composition was assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies against dynein arms and nexin-dynein regulatory complex subunits. Ciliary motility was analysed by high-speed video microscopy. A retrospective search of our database of PCD individuals was performed for information on conception and childbirth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The motor protein composition of human FT cilia was identical to that of respiratory cilia. FT cilia showed coordinated beating, resulting in a directed fluid flow towards the uterine cavity. We identified nine PCD individuals with severe dysfunction of respiratory cilia who gave birth to children after spontaneous conception. This suggests that ciliary beating is not the key motor of ovum transport.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FT cilia of affected PCD females were not available for analysis. Thus, it remains to be proven that FT cilia indeed show the same defects as respiratory cilia in PCD individuals. Comprehensive epidemiological studies are needed to determine the extent of female (sub-) fertility in PCD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of the exact protein composition and function of FT cilia will contribute to a better understanding of cilia-generated fluid flow in female reproduction. These findings are important for subsequent studies of function and protein composition of FT cilia in PCD patients.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raidt
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany claudius.werner@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: Claudius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Tabea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menchen
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerard W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olbrich
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Niki T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Loges
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pennekamp
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Geb. A1, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
authors.forename: Heymut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Omran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056444:Axonemal Dyneins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D056444:Axonemal Dyneins; C497507:DNAH5 protein, human
keywords: PCD; cilia; motor proteins; oviduct