Sensing a Sensor: Identifying the Mechanosensory Function of Primary Cilia

Biosensors

Rahul M. Prasad¹  Xingjian Jin¹ 

[1] College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: cilia;    calcium signaling;    shear stress;    cell culture;    tissue;    perfusion;   

DOI  :  10.3390/bios4010047

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Over the past decade, primary cilia have emerged as the premier means by which cells sense and transduce mechanical stimuli. Primary cilia are sensory organelles that have been shown to be vitally involved in the mechanosensation of urine in the renal nephron, bile in the hepatic biliary system, digestive fluid in the pancreatic duct, dentin in dental pulp, lacunocanalicular fluid in bone and cartilage, and blood in vasculature. The prevalence of primary cilia among mammalian cell types is matched by the tremendously varied disease states caused by both structural and functional defects in cilia. In the process of delineating the mechanisms behind these disease states, calcium fluorimetry has been widely utilized as a means of quantifying ciliary function to both fluid flow and pharmacological agents. In this review, we will discuss the approaches used in associating calcium levels to cilia function.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.