Novel Insights into the Development and Function of Cilia Using the Advantages of the Paramecium Cell and Its Many Cilia

Cells

Junji Yano¹  Megan S. Valentine¹  Judith L. Van Houten²  Gang Dong¹ 

[1] id="af1-cells-04-00297">Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, US

关键词: Paramecium;    cilia;    calcium;    signal transduction;    swimming behavior;    electrophysiology;    proteomics;   

DOI  :  10.3390/cells4030297

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Paramecium species, especially P. tetraurelia and caudatum, are model organisms for modern research into the form and function of cilia. In this review, we focus on the ciliary ion channels and other transmembrane proteins that control the beat frequency and wave form of the cilium by controlling the signaling within the cilium. We put these discussions in the context of the advantages that Paramecium brings to the understanding of ciliary motility: mutants for genetic dissections of swimming behavior, electrophysiology, structural analysis, abundant cilia for biochemistry and modern proteomics, genomics and molecular biology. We review the connection between behavior and physiology, which allows the cells to broadcast the function of their ciliary channels in real time. We build a case for the important insights and advantages that this model organism continues to bring to the study of cilia.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.