The Emerging Complexity of the Vertebrate Cilium: New Functional Roles for an Ancient Organelle

Erica Ellen Davis, Martina Brueckner, Elias Nicholas Katsanis*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

117 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cilia and flagella are found on the surface of a strikingly diverse range of cell types. These intriguing organelles, with their unique and highly adapted protein transport machinery, have been studied extensively in the context of cellular locomotion, sexual reproduction, or fluid propulsion. However, recent studies are beginning to show that in vertebrates particularly, cilia have been recruited to perform additional developmental and homeostatic roles. Here, we review advances in deciphering the functional components of cilia, and we explore emerging trends that implicate ciliary proteins in signal transduction and morphogenetic pathways.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9-19
Number of pages11
JournalDevelopmental Cell
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

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