Cryo-electron tomography of eel sperm flagella reveals a molecular "minimum system" for motile cilia.

ABSTRACT: Cilia and flagella play a crucial role in the development and function of eukaryotes. The activity of thousands of dyneins is precisely regulated to generate flagellar motility. The complex proteome (600+ proteins) and architecture of the structural core of flagella, the axoneme, have made it challenging to dissect the functions of the different complexes, like the regulatory machinery. Previous reports suggested that the flagellum of American eel sperm lacks many of the canonical axonemal complexes yet is still motile. Here, we use cryo-electron tomography for molecular characterization of this proposed "minimal" motile flagellum. We observed different diameters for the eel sperm flagellum: narrow at the base and wider toward the flagellar tip. Subtomogram averaging revealed the three-dim

SUBMITTER: Schrad JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11809310 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature