Automated image analysis reveals the dynamic 3-dimensional organization of multi-ciliary arrays

Biology Open

David S. Abuin¹  Chad G. Pearson¹  Domenico F. Galati¹  Gabriel A. Tauber¹  Andrew T. Pham¹ 

[1]Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2801 East 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045-2537, USA

关键词: Tetrahymena;    Basal body;    Centriole;    Cilia;    Polarity;    Poc1;    Automated image analysis;   

DOI  :  10.1242/bio.014951

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Multi-ciliated cells (MCCs) use polarized fields of undulating cilia (ciliary array) to produce fluid flow that is essential for many biological processes. Cilia are positioned by microtubule scaffolds called basal bodies (BBs) that are arranged within a spatially complex 3-dimensional geometry (3D). Here, we develop a robust and automated computational image analysis routine to quantify 3D BB organization in the ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophila. Using this routine, we generate the first morphologically constrained 3D reconstructions of Tetrahymena cells and elucidate rules that govern the kinetics of MCC organization. We demonstrate the interplay between BB duplication and cell size expansion through the cell cycle. In mutant cells, we identify a potential BB surveillance mechanism that balances large gaps in BB spacing by increasing the frequency of closely spaced BBs in other regions of the cell. Finally, by taking advantage of a mutant predisposed to BB disorganization, we locate the spatial domains that are most prone to disorganization by environmental stimuli. Collectively, our analyses reveal the importance of quantitative image analysis to understand the principles that guide the 3D organization of MCCs.

【 授权许可】

Unknown