Primary Cilium
Primary Cilium - Related Videos
07:53
Application of High-speed Super-resolution SPEED Microscopy in Live Primary Cilium
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Cited by 4 •
2018
Recently we mapped the three-dimensional (3D) spatial locations of transport routes for various proteins translocating inside primary cilia in live cells. Here this paper details the experimental setup, the process of biological samples and the data analyses for the 3D super-resolution fluorescence imaging approach newly applied in live primary cilia.
08:14
Using Primary Neurosphere Cultures to Study Primary Cilia
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Cited by 3 •
2017
The primary cilium is fundamentally important in neural progenitor cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and adult neuronal function. Here, we describe a method to study ciliogenesis and the trafficking of signaling proteins to cilia in neural stem/progenitor cells and differentiated neurons using primary neurosphere cultures.
04:06
Efficient and Cost Effective Electroporation Method to Study Primary Cilium-Dependent Signaling Pathways in the Granule Cell Precursor
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2021
Here, we present a reproducible in vitro electroporation protocol for genetic manipulation of primary cerebellar granule cell precursors (GCPs) that is cost-effective, efficient, and viable. Moreover, this protocol also demonstrates a straightforward method for the molecular study of primary cilium-dependent Hedgehog signaling pathways in primary GCP cells.
14:19
2D and 3D Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models to Dissect Primary Cilium Involvement during Neocortical Development
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Cited by 5 •
2022
We present detailed protocols for the generation and characterization of 2D and 3D human induced pluripotent stem cell (hIPSC)-based models of neocortical development as well as complementary methodologies enabling qualitative and quantitative analysis of primary cilium (PC) biogenesis and function.
08:43
Primary Neuronal Cultures
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2023
The complexity of the brain often requires neuroscientists to use a simpler system for experimental manipulations and observations. One powerful approach is to generate a primary culture by dissecting nervous system tissue, dissociating it into single cells, and growing those cells in vitro. Primary cultures make neurons and glia easily accessible to the experimental tools required for techniques like genetic manipulation and time-lapse imaging. Furthermore, these cultures represent a highly...
FAQs
The cilium acts as a localized signaling platform by concentrating receptors and signaling proteins in one cellular projection. This organization places detection machinery close to the cell surface while linking incoming information to intracellular pathways. As a result, extracellular changes can be converted into coordinated responses rather than remaining isolated at the membrane.
Anchoring to the basal body gives the projection a defined cellular position and connects it to the cell’s microtubule-based architecture. That placement is important because the cilium must remain structurally integrated while it receives external information. When cilium assembly is disrupted, both ciliary organization and downstream signaling can be affected.
Mechanical stimuli and developmental signals represent distinct classes of extracellular information that converge on the same ciliary signaling function. The organelle detects these cues through its concentrated molecular components and transmits the resulting information inward. This allows one structure to participate in environmental sensing as well as longer-term programs such as differentiation and tissue patterning.
Signals organized by primary cilia can influence cell division, differentiation, tissue patterning, and homeostasis. These outcomes span individual-cell decisions and the maintenance of organized tissues. Consequently, ciliary signaling is relevant not only during development but also when tissues must preserve stable conditions and coordinate their responses to changes in the surrounding environment.
Defects in cilium assembly or signaling are associated with ciliopathies, a group of disorders whose effects can extend across the kidney, eye, brain, and skeleton. This broad organ involvement highlights the importance of ciliary communication in multiple tissues. Studying these defects connects cellular mechanisms with disease phenotypes and tissue-specific consequences.
Primary cilia provide a framework for examining how cells convert extracellular cues into intracellular responses. Research can evaluate two linked dimensions: whether the organelle assembles properly and whether it transmits signals effectively. Connecting either defect to altered cell division, differentiation, tissue patterning, or homeostasis helps clarify mechanisms underlying ciliopathies and related biological changes.