Insights into the structure and function of ciliary and flagellar doublet microtubules: tektins, Ca2+-binding proteins, and stable protofilaments.

ABSTRACT: Cilia and flagella are conserved, motile, and sensory cell organelles involved in signal transduction and human disease. Their scaffold consists of a 9-fold array of remarkably stable doublet microtubules (DMTs), along which motor proteins transmit force for ciliary motility and intraflagellar transport. DMTs possess Ribbons of three to four hyper-stable protofilaments whose location, organization, and specialized functions have been elusive. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the distribution and structural arrangements of Ribbon proteins from sea urchin sperm flagella, using quantitative immunobiochemistry, proteomics, immuno-cryo-electron microscopy, and tomography. Isolated Ribbons contain acetylated α-tubulin, β-tubulin, conserved protein Rib45, >95% of the axonemal tektins, and

SUBMITTER: Linck R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4067180 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature