Doublet Microtubules Research Articles

Self-Sustained Oscillatory Sliding Movement of Doublet Microtubules and Flagellar Bend Formation.

It is well established that the basis for flagellar and ciliary movements is ATP-dependent sliding between adjacent doublet microtubules. However, the mechanism for converting microtubule sliding into flagellar and ciliary movements has long remained unresolved. The author has developed new sperm models that use bull spermatozoa divested of their plasma membrane and midpiece mitochondrial sheath by Triton X-100 and dithiothreitol. These models enable the observation of both the oscillatory sliding movement of activated doublet microtubules and flagellar bend formation in the presence of ATP. A long fiber of doublet microtubules extruded by synchronous sliding of the sperm flagella and a short fiber of doublet microtubules extruded by metachronal sliding exhibited spontaneous oscillatory movements and constructed a one beat cycle of flagellar bending by alternately actuating. The small sliding displacement generated by metachronal sliding formed helical bends, whereas the large displacement by synchronous sliding formed planar bends. Therefore, the resultant waveform is a half-funnel shape, which is similar to ciliary movements.

Three-Dimensional Structures Associated with Photoreceptor Cilia by Cryo-Electron Tomography

The outer segment of rod and cone photoreceptor cells is a modified primary cilium. Specialized machinery is needed to assemble and maintain its structure, and to carry out the transport and sorting of molecular components between the inner segment, where most biosynthesis occurs, and the outer segment, where those components are utilized for phototransduction. The narrow connection between the inner and outer segment, known as the connecting cilium, is the location of proteins encoded by genes implicated in inherited diseases known as ciliopathies. Its structural core is a nine + zero microtubule-based axoneme that emerges from a centriole termed the basal body complex. Conserved features of this organelle include the transition fibers and transition zone with a ciliary necklace studding the ciliary membrane. We used cryo-electron tomography to determine the structures of the second basal body (daughter centriole), the connecting cilium and associated machinery in wildtype mice. Recently we used computational sub-tomogram averaging to determine the three-dimensional structure of the basal bodies. The 3D density map reveals a tapered cylindrical structure composed of nine MT bundle from the plus (triplet) end to the minus (doublet) end of the centriole. Additional densities that represent non-tubulin proteins attached to the triplet were revealed, which presumably stabilize the entire basal body. In addition, we have observed transition fibers, located at the ciliary base, connecting to microtubule triplets. The transition zone connects the microtubule doublets of the axoneme to the membrane near the basal body and extends into the connecting cilium toward the outer segment. These structural features in wildtype cilia will help us to understand the normal mechanisms and functions of the many proteins essential for cilium function and photoreceptor survival, and shed light on the ciliopathies that arise from defects in those proteins.

Docking-complex-independent alignment of Chlamydomonas outer dynein arms with 24-nm periodicity in vitro.

The docking complex is a molecular complex necessary for assembly of outer dynein arms (ODAs) on the axonemal doublet microtubules (DMTs) in cilia and flagella. The docking complex is hypothesized to be a 24-nm molecular ruler because ODAs align along the DMTs with 24-nm periodicity. In this study, we rigorously tested this hypothesis using structural and genetic methods. We found that the ODAs can bind to DMTs and porcine microtubules with 24-nm periodicities even in the absence of the docking complexin vitro Using cryo-electron tomography and structural labeling, we observed that the docking complex took an unexpectedly flexible conformation and did not lie along the length of DMTs. In the absence of docking complex, ODAs were released from the DMT at relatively low ionic strength conditions, suggesting that the docking complex strengthens the electrostatic interactions between the ODA and DMT. Based on these results, we conclude that the docking complex serves as a flexible stabilizer of the ODA rather than as a molecular ruler.

CABYR is essential for fibrous sheath integrity and progressive motility in mouse spermatozoa.

Ca2+-binding tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated protein (CABYR) has been implicated in sperm physiological function in several in vitro studies. It has also been implicated as a potential cause of and diagnostic tool in asthenozoospermic human males. CABYR is known to be localized to the fibrous sheath, an accessory structure in the flagellar principal piece. Utilizing the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, we have knocked out this gene in mice to understand its role in male fertility. Cabyr-knockout male mice showed severe subfertility with a defect in sperm motility as well as a significant disorganization in the fibrous sheath. Further, abnormal configuration of doublet microtubules was observed in the Cabyr-knockout spermatozoa, suggesting that the fibrous sheath is important for the correct organization of the axoneme. Our results show that it is the role of CABYR in the formation of the fibrous sheath that is essential for male fertility.

Ttll9-/- mice sperm flagella show shortening of doublet 7, reduction of doublet 5 polyglutamylation and a stall in beating.

Nine outer doublet microtubules in axonemes of flagella and cilia are heterogeneous in structure and biochemical properties. In mammalian sperm flagella, one of the factors to generate the heterogeneity is tubulin polyglutamylation, although the importance of the heterogeneous modification is unclear. Here, we show that a tubulin polyglutamylase Ttll9 deficiency (Ttll9(-/-)) causes a unique set of phenotypes related to doublet heterogeneity. Ttll9(-/-) sperm axonemes had frequent loss of a doublet and reduced polyglutamylation. Intriguingly, the doublet loss selectively occurred at the distal region of doublet 7, and reduced polyglutamylation was observed preferentially on doublet 5. Ttll9(-/-) spermatozoa showed aberrant flagellar beating, characterized by frequent stalls after anti-hook bending. This abnormal motility could be attributed to the reduction of polyglutamylation on doublet 5, which probably occurred at a position involved in the switching of bending. These results indicate that mammalian Ttll9 plays essential roles in maintaining the normal structure and beating pattern of sperm flagella by establishing normal heterogeneous polyglutamylation patterns.

Behavior of Primary Cilia and Tricellular Tight Junction Proteins during Differentiation in Temperature-Sensitive Mouse Cochlear Precursor Hair Cells.

In the sensory hair cells of the mammalian cochlea, the primary cilia in the planar cell polarity as well as the tight junctions in the epithelial cell polarity and the barrier are important to maintain normal hearing. Temperature-sensitive mouse cochlear precursor hair cells were used to investigate the behavior of primary cilia and tricellular tight junction proteins during the differentiation of sensory hair cells. In undifferentiated cells (incubated at 33°C), many acetylated tubulin-positive primary cilia were observed, and each was accompanied with an x03B3;-tubulin-positive basal body. The primary cilia had a '9 + 0' architecture with nine outer microtubule doublets but lacking a central pair of microtubules. In differentiated cells (incubated at 39°C), acetylated tubulin-positive primary cilia as well as acetylated tubulin-positive cilia-like structures were partially observed on the cell surface. In differentiated cells, the number of primary cilia was markedly reduced compared with undifferentiated cells, and innumerable cilia-like structures with no ciliary pockets were partially observed on the cell surface. In undifferentiated cells, few tricellulin molecules and lipolysis-stimulated lipoprotein receptors (LSRs) were observed in the cytoplasm. In differentiated cells, many tricellulin molecules and LSRs were observed on the membranes and within the cytoplasm. Conditional immortalized mouse cochlear precursor hair cells may be useful to investigate the roles of primary cilia and tricellular tight junctions during cellular differentiation and degeneration such as apoptosis.

Structural basis of the Inv compartment and ciliary abnormalities in Inv/nphp2 mutant mice.

The primary cilium is a hair like structure protruding from most mammalian cells. The basic design of the primary cilium consists of a nine microtubule doublet structure (the axoneme). The Inv compartment, a distinct proximal segment of the ciliary body, is defined as the region in which the Inv protein is localized. Inv gene is a responsible gene for human nephronophthisis type2 (NPHP2). Here, we show that renal cilia have a short proximal microtubule doublet region and a long distal microtubule singlet region. The length of the Inv compartment was similar to that of the microtubule doublet region, suggesting a possibility that the doublet region is the structural basis of the Inv compartment. Respiratory cilia of inv mouse mutants had ciliary rootlet malformation and showed reduced ciliary beating frequency and ciliary beating angle, which may explain recurrent bronchitis in NPHP2 patients. In multiciliated tracheal cells, most Inv proteins were retained in the basal body and did not accumulate in the Inv compartment. These results suggest that the machinery to transport and retain Inv in cilia is different between renal and tracheal cilia and that Inv may function in the basal body of tracheal cells.

Ciliopathies: an Update

Cilia are hair-like organelles that extend from the surface of almost all human cells. Nine doublet microtubule pairs make up the core of each cilium, known as the axoneme. Cilia are classified as motile or immotile; non motile or primary cilia are involved in sensing the extracellular environment. These organelles mediate perception of chemo-, mechano- and osmosensations that are then transmitted into the cell via signaling pathways. They also play a crucial role in cellular functions including planar cell polarity, cell division, proliferation and apoptosis. Because of cilia are located on almost all polarized human cell types, cilia-related disorders, can affect many organs and systems. The ciliopathies comprise a group of genetically heterogeneous clinical entities due to the molecular complexity of the ciliary axoneme. Cilia are involved in left-right laterality in the embryo, mucociliary clearance, reproductive function, neuronal development, photoreception, olfaction, homeostasis or hormonal regulation. Ciliopathies can involve single organs or can occur as multisystem disorders with phenotypically variable and overlapping disease manifestations. However, the importance of the cilium’s role in the development of several diseases is still a matter of active research. In this review, we will define ciliary ultrastructure and function, the genetic complexity associated with ciliary dysfunction and clinical manifestations. Increasing knowledge of the role of cilia in morphogenesis pathways in conjunction with genetic studies is necessary to improve the characterization of this previously unconnected group of diseases.

Spermatogenesis in the rock oyster, Saccostrea forskali (Gmelin, 1791).

Morphology of the differentiating spermatogenic cells of the rock oyster Saccostrea forskali (Bivalve: Ostreidae) was investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy. The testis is formed by several branching acini containing developing spermatogenic cells, classified into 7 stages based on nuclear characteristics, patterns of chromatin condensation and cytoplasmic contents. The spermatogonium is characterized by a euchromatic nucleus with a prominent nucleolus. The cytoplasm contains several round granulo-fibrillar dense bodies surrounded by numerous mitochondria. The round nucleus of the primary spermatocyte contains patches of electron-dense heterochromatin, numerous proacrosomal vesicles, ribosomes and mitochondria. The secondary spermatocytes contain a reticulated chromatin pattern and reduced number of proacrosomal vesicles. The early spermatids contain a small amount of euchromatin among dense patches of heterochromatin. A large single acrosomal vesicle is located in the posterior part of the cell. The middle spermatid is characterized by the migration of an acrosomal vesicle to the anterior part of the nucleus. The late spermatids contain highly condensed heterochromatin blocks and the acrosomal vesicle becomes cup-shaped and invaginated at the basal part. The spermatozoon contains a barrel-shaped head covered with the cup-like acrosome. At this stage, the subacrosomal space contains an axial rod in subacrosomal materials. Three to four transverse bands appear at the anterior region of the acrosome. The middle piece consists of spherical mitochondria surrounding the proximal and distal centrioles. The flagellum consists of 9+2 axonemal microtubule doublets surrounded by the plasma membrane. Our electron microscopic study of spermatogenesis in the S. forskali provides important new information on the mechanism of development of spermatogenesis of this species.

Paramecium tetraurelia basal body structure.

Paramecium is a free-living unicellular organism, easy to cultivate, featuring ca. 4000 motile cilia emanating from longitudinal rows of basal bodies anchored in the plasma membrane. The basal body circumferential polarity is marked by the asymmetrical organization of its associated appendages. The complex basal body plus its associated rootlets forms the kinetid. Kinetids are precisely oriented within a row in correlation with the cell polarity. Basal bodies also display a proximo-distal polarity with microtubule triplets at their proximal ends, surrounding a permanent cartwheel, and microtubule doublets at the transition zone located between the basal body and the cilium. Basal bodies remain anchored at the cell surface during the whole cell cycle. On the opposite to metazoan, there is no centriolar stage and new basal bodies develop anteriorly and at right angle from the base of the docked ones. Ciliogenesis follows a specific temporal pattern during the cell cycle and both unciliated and ciliated docked basal bodies can be observed in the same cell. The transition zone is particularly well organized with three distinct plates and a maturation of its structure is observed during the growth of the cilium. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses have been performed in different organisms including Paramecium to understand the ciliogenesis process. The data have incremented a multi-organism database, dedicated to proteins involved in the biogenesis, composition and function of centrosomes, basal bodies or cilia. Thanks to its thousands of basal bodies and the well-known choreography of their duplication during the cell cycle, Paramecium has allowed pioneer studies focusing on the structural and functional processes underlying basal body duplication. Proteins involved in basal body anchoring are sequentially recruited to assemble the transition zone thus indicating that the anchoring process parallels the structural differentiation of the transition zone. This feature offers an opportunity to dissect spatio-temporally the mechanisms involved in the basal body anchoring process and transition zone formation.

Absence of Radial Spokes in Mouse Node Cilia Is Required for Rotational Movement but Confers Ultrastructural Instability as a Trade-Off

Determination of left-right asymmetry in mouse embryos is established by a leftward fluid flow that is generated by clockwise rotation of node cilia. How node cilia achieve stable unidirectional rotation has remained unknown, however. Here we show that brief exposure to the microtubule-stabilizing drug paclitaxel (Taxol) induces randomly directed rotation and changes the ultrastructure of node cilia. In vivo observations and a computer simulation revealed that a regular 9+0 arrangement of doublet microtubules is essential for stable unidirectional rotation of node cilia. The 9+2 motile cilia of the airway, which manifest planar beating, are resistant to Taxol treatment. However, the airway cilia of mice lacking the radial spoke head protein Rsph4a undergo rotational movement instead of planar beating, are prone to microtubule rearrangement, and are sensitive to Taxol. Our results suggest that the absence of radial spokes allows node cilia to rotate unidirectionally but, as a trade-off, renders them ultrastructurally fragile.

Axonemal dynein light chain-1 locates at the microtubule-binding domain of the γ heavy chain.

The outer arm dynein (OAD) complex is the main propulsive force generator for ciliary/flagellar beating. In Chlamydomonas and Tetrahymena, the OAD complex comprises three heavy chains (α, β, and γ HCs) and >10 smaller subunits. Dynein light chain-1 (LC1) is an essential component of OAD. It is known to associate with the Chlamydomonas γ head domain, but its precise localization within the γ head and regulatory mechanism of the OAD complex remain unclear. Here Ni-NTA-nanogold labeling electron microscopy localized LC1 to the stalk tip of the γ head. Single-particle analysis detected an additional structure, most likely corresponding to LC1, near the microtubule-binding domain (MTBD), located at the stalk tip. Pull-down assays confirmed that LC1 bound specifically to the γ MTBD region. Together with observations that LC1 decreased the affinity of the γ MTBD for microtubules, we present a new model in which LC1 regulates OAD activity by modulating γ MTBD's affinity for the doublet microtubule.

Late steps in cytoplasmic maturation of assembly-competent axonemal outer arm dynein in Chlamydomonas require interaction of ODA5 and ODA10 in a complex.

Axonemal dyneins are multisubunit enzymes that must be preassembled in the cytoplasm, transported into cilia by intraflagellar transport, and bound to specific sites on doublet microtubules, where their activity facilitates microtubule sliding-based motility. Outer dynein arms (ODAs) require assembly factors to assist their preassembly, transport, and attachment to cargo (specific doublet A-tubule sites). In Chlamydomonas, three assembly factors--ODA5, ODA8, and ODA10--show genetic interactions and have been proposed to interact in a complex, but we recently showed that flagellar ODA8 does not copurify with ODA5 or ODA10. Here we show that ODA5 and ODA10 depend on each other for stability and coexist in a complex in both cytoplasmic and flagellar extracts. Immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy reveal that ODA10 in flagella localizes strictly to a proximal region of doublet number 1, which completely lacks ODAs in Chlamydomonas. Studies of the in vitro binding of ODAs to axonemal doublets reveal a role for the ODA5/ODA10 assembly complex in cytoplasmic maturation of ODAs into a form that can bind to doublet microtubules.

Dynein arms are strain-dependent direction-switching force generators.

Dynein is a minus-end-directed motor that can generate (forward) force to move along the microtubule toward its minus end. In addition, axonemal dyneins were reported to oscillate in the generation of forward force, and cytoplasmic dynein is observed to generate bidirectional forces in response to defined chemical states. Both dyneins can also respond to mechanically applied force. To test whether axonemal dynein can switch direction of force generation, we measured force using an optical trap and UV-photolysis of caged ATP. We observed that isolated dynein could repeatedly generate force in both directions along the microtubule. Bidirectional force was also observed for dynein arms that are still attached on the doublet microtubules. Axonemal dynein generated force to move backward (∼ 4 pN) as well as forward (5-6 pN) along microtubules. Furthermore, backward force could be stimulated by plus-end directed external force applied to axonemal dynein before ATP application. The results show that axonemal dynein is unique exhibiting multiple modes of force generation including backward and forward force, oscillatory force and slow, repetitive bidirectional force. The results also demonstrate that mechanical strain is important for switching the directionality of force generation in axonemal dyneins.

α- and β-Tubulin Lattice of the Axonemal Microtubule Doublet and Binding Proteins Revealed by Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy and Tomography

Microtubule doublet (MTD) is the main skeleton of cilia/flagella. Many proteins, such as dyneins and radial spokes, bind to MTD, and generate or regulate force. While the structure of the reconstituted microtubule has been solved at atomic resolution, nature of the axonemal MTD is still unclear. There are a few hypotheses of the lattice arrangement of its α- and β-tubulins, but it has not been described how dyneins and radial spokes bind to MTD. In this study, we analyzed the three-dimensional structure of Tetrahymena MTD at ∼19 Å resolution by single particle cryo-electron microscopy. To identify α- and β-tubulins, we combined image analysis of MTD with specific kinesin decoration. This work reveals that α- and β-tubulins form a B-lattice arrangement in the entire MTD with a seam at the outer junction. We revealed the unique way in which inner arm dyneins, radial spokes, and proteins inside MTD bind and bridge protofilaments.

Effect of fringe-artifact correction on sub-tomogram averaging from Zernike phase-plate cryo-TEM.

Zernike phase-plate (ZPP) imaging greatly increases contrast in cryo-electron microscopy, however fringe artifacts appear in the images. A computational de-fringing method has been proposed, but it has not been widely employed, perhaps because the importance of de-fringing has not been clearly demonstrated. For testing purposes, we employed Zernike phase-plate imaging in a cryo-electron tomographic study of radial-spoke complexes attached to microtubule doublets. We found that the contrast enhancement by ZPP imaging made nonlinear denoising insensitive to the filtering parameters, such that simple low-frequency band-pass filtering made the same improvement in map quality. We employed sub-tomogram averaging, which compensates for the effect of the "missing wedge" and considerably improves map quality. We found that fringes (caused by the abrupt cut-on of the central hole in the phase plate) can lead to incorrect representation of a structure that is well-known from the literature. The expected structure was restored by amplitude scaling, as proposed in the literature. Our results show that de-fringing is an important part of image-processing for cryo-electron tomography of macromolecular complexes with ZPP imaging.

Atomic models of microtubule doublets and dyneins in cilia revealed by cryo-electron microscopy

Microtubule doublets (MTD) in cilia consist of the A-tubule (13 protofilaments) and the B-tubule (likely 10 protofilaments). While 3D molecular arrangement of ciliary proteins is our interest, our knowledge about how dyneins, radial spokes and other proteins bind to MTD was limited, due to the limitation of resolution. We have been investigating the conformation and localization of inner and outer dynein isoforms (Bui et al. (2012) JCB 198, 913) and their conformational change induced by ATP (Movassagh et al. (2010) NSMB 17, 761), radial spokes (Pigino et al. (2011) JCB 195, 673) by cryo-electron tomography (resolution 30A). We newly employed single particle cryo-EM technique and improved resolution to 20A. This enabled us to locate tubulin isoforms and describe interaction and binding of dyneins and other proteins precisely. The arrangement of tubulin dimers in MTD demonstrates difference from the reconstituted microtubule, indicating specific building mechanism of MTDs. Microtubule binding domains (MTBD) of outer arm dyneins bind to the three adjacent protofilaments, between alpha and beta-tubulins within one dimer. The orientation of the stalk changes ~5 degrees during the power stroke caused by rearrangement of the linker domain of dynein with respect to the AAA-ring as we reported (Ueno et al. (2014) Cytoskeleton 71, 412). MTBD of inner arm dyneins bind to one protofilament of the B-tubule, with the exception of dimeric dynein f. The interface of N-terminal tails of inner dyneins and the A-tubule spans over two protofilaments. We will extend our discussion of how this architecture is maintained during the bending motion.

Mechanisms of flagellum construction and maintenance

Cilia and flagella are cylindrical organelles that protrude at the surface of numerous eukaryotes including most human cells. They are composed, from base to tip, of the basal body (9 triplet microtubules), the transition zone (TZ, 9 doublet microtubules) and the axoneme (9 doublet microtubules ± 2 central microtubules). New flagellar sub-units are added at the distal tip by intraflagellar transport (IFT), a dynamic process where IFT motors drag IFT particles in both anterograde and retrograde directions. IFTs concentrate in a pool at the base of the flagellum, whose localization depends on the organism. In Trypanosomatidae, immunofluorescence assays reveal the association of this pool to the TZ, split apart from the cytoplasm by the transitional fibres. In Trypanosoma brucei, we undertook to investigate about the role of the TZ in flagellum formation and maintenance of IFT in mature flagella, by deciphering the role of RP2, a candidate protein located at the TFs [Stephan et al., Traffic 2007]. We constructed a strain impaired in RP2 production by tetracycline-inducible RNAi and obtained the expected phenotype: parasite growth was affected from the third day of induction. In parallel, diminution of IFT concentration at the flagellum base suggests that RP2 is involved in IFT recruitment during flagellum formation and/or RP2 takes part in a ciliary gate that hinders IFT leaking towards the cytoplasm. We are currently studying these hypotheses by live microscopy using fluorescent fusions of IFT proteins, RP2, and other ciliary gate candidates, dissecting the molecular structure and mechanisms involved in flagellum construction and homeostasis.

A systematic proximity map of the centriole-cilia interface

Objective Eukaryotic cilia/flagella are dynamic microtubule (MT)based organelles. The ciliary axoneme is built from a radial scaffold of 9 MT doublets, plus a central MT pair, in the case of motile cilia. The axoneme is templated by a basal body (BB)/centriole derived from the mother centriole, in the case of animal cells, which presents sub-distal and distal appendages critical for cilia formation. In vertebrates, different cilia types fulfil diverse functions, critical for embryonic development and homeostasis of adult tissues. Cilia malfunction causes ciliopathies, but despite their biomedical implications, their molecular composition and mechanisms underlying their biogenesis still remain poorly defined.

A Computational Model of Dynein Activation Patterns that Can Explain Nodal Cilia Rotation

Normal left-right patterning in vertebrates depends on the rotational movement of nodal cilia. In order to produce this ciliary motion, the activity of axonemal dyneins must be tightly regulated in a temporal and spatial manner; the specific activation pattern of the dynein motors in the nodal cilia has not been reported. Contemporary imaging techniques cannot directly assess dynein activity in a living cilium. In this study, we establish a three-dimensional model to mimic the ciliary ultrastructure and assume that the activation of dynein proteins is related to the interdoublet distance. By employing finite-element analysis and grid deformation techniques, we simulate the mechanical function of dyneins by pairs of point loads, investigate the time-variant interdoublet distance, and simulate the dynein-triggered ciliary motion. The computational results indicate that, to produce the rotational movement of nodal cilia, the dynein activity is transferred clockwise (looking from the tip) between the nine doublet microtubules, and along each microtubule, the dynein activation should occur faster at the basal region and slower when it is close to the ciliary tip. Moreover, the time cost by all the dyneins along one microtubule to be activated can be used to deduce the dynein activation pattern; it implies that, as an alternative method, measuring this time can indirectly reveal the dynein activity. The proposed protein-structure model can simulate the ciliary motion triggered by various dynein activation patterns explicitly and may contribute to furthering the studies on axonemal dynein activity.