observation-of-photobehavior-in-chlamydomonas-reinhardtii

Observation of Photobehavior in <em>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</em>

For the survival of the motile phototrophic microorganisms, being under proper light conditions is crucial. Consequently, they show photo-induced ...

Tokyo Institute of Technology

The outer dynein arm-docking complex (ODA-DC), which was first identified in the green alga , is a protein complex that mediates the binding of axonemal dynein and doublet microtubules. To gain a better understanding of the evolutionary conservation and functional diversity of the ODA-DC, we knocked down a homolog of DC2, a major subunit of the ODA-DC, in the planarian . Planaria are carnivorous flatworms that move by beating cilia on their ventral surface against a secreted mucus layer. These organisms have recently been used for cilia research because knockdown of flatworm genes by RNA interference (RNAi) is readily achieved through feeding with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Lack of DC2 in  caused several defects in cilia, including low beat frequency, decreased ciliary density, and a reduction in ciliary length. The loss of DC2 function  mutant  shows slow jerky swimming, but has two flagella of almost normal length. These data suggest that the function of a DC2 homolog in  cilia may be somewhat different from DC2 in  flagella.

Ayaka Kyuji

Biography

JoVE Journal Publications

Other Publications