The Dual Molecular Identity of Vestibular Kinocilia: Bridging Structural and Functional Traits of Primary and Motile Cilia.

ABSTRACT: Vestibular hair cells (HCs) convert gravitational and head motion cues into neural signals through mechanotransduction, mediated by the hair bundle-a mechanically integrated organelle composed of stereocilia and a kinocilium. The kinocilium, a specialized form of primary cilium, remains incompletely defined in structure, molecular composition, and function. To elucidate its characteristics, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing of adult vestibular and cochlear HCs, uncovering a selective enrichment of primary and motile cilia-associated genes in vestibular HCs, particularly those related to the axonemal repeat complex. This enrichment of orthologous axonemal-related genes was conserved in zebrafish and human vestibular HCs, indicating a shared molecular architecture. Immunostaining valid

SUBMITTER: Xu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12190475 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature