4.1 Article

Removal of the MDCK cell primary cilium abolishes flow sensing

Journal

JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE BIOLOGY
Volume 191, Issue 1, Pages 69-76

Publisher

SPRINGER-VERLAG
DOI: 10.1007/s00232-002-1042-4

Keywords

chloral hydrate; microtubules; immunefluorescence; calcium

Ask authors/readers for more resources

The hypothesis that cell primary cilium is solely responsible for the flow-induced Ca2+ response in MDCK cells was tested by removal of the cilia from mature, responsive cells. Incubation of the cells with 4 mM chloral hydrate for 68 hours resulted in the complete loss of the primary cilia and in disorganization of microtubules, as visualized by immunofluorescence. When intracellular Ca2+ concentration was measured with Fluo-4, the elevation that normally accompanies an increase in fluid flow was abolished after 20 hours exposure to chloral hydrate. At this time, the primary cilia still remained attached to the cells but had become twisted and flexible. Twenty four hours after return of the deciliated cells to normal medium, intracellular microtubule organization appeared normal, but primary cilia had not yet been expressed. The cells failed to increase intracellular Ca2+ in response to fluid flow until after they had been in normal medium for 120 hours, at which time the primary cilia were 3-4 mum long. Chloral hydrate did not impair the Ca2+ mobilization machinery, as the Ca2+ response to mechanical contact and the spread to neighboring cells was unaffected by the drug. We conclude that the primary cilium is the only sensor for the flow-induced Ca2+ response in MDCK cells and estimate that a single mechanically sensitive channel in the cilium could provide the requisite Ca2+ influx.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.1
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available