Basal foot MTOC organizes pillar MTs required for coordination of beating cilia

• Published in: Nature communications 2014-09, Vol.5 (1), p.4888-4888, Article 4888
• Main Authors: Clare, Daniel K., Magescas, Jérémy, Piolot, Tristan, Dumoux, Maud, Vesque, Christine, Pichard, Evelyne, Dang, Tien, Duvauchelle, Boris, Poirier, Françoise, Delacour, Delphine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 101/28; 13/107; 13/51; 14/19; 14/28; 38/70; 631/57/343; 631/80/128/1383; 631/80/128/1653; 64/60; 82/1; 82/51; 96/1; 96/34; 96/63; Animals; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Cilia - metabolism; Cilia - ultrastructure; Galectin 3 - deficiency; Galectin 3 - genetics; Gene Expression; Humanities and Social Sciences; Life Sciences; Male; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Microscopy, Electron; Microtubule-Organizing Center - metabolism; Microtubule-Organizing Center - ultrastructure; Microtubules - metabolism; Microtubules - ultrastructure; Molecular biology; multidisciplinary; Respiratory Mucosa - metabolism; Respiratory Mucosa - ultrastructure; Rheology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Trachea - metabolism; Trachea - ultrastructure; Tubulin - genetics; Tubulin - metabolism
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5888

Coordination of ciliary beating is essential to ensure mucus clearance in the airway tract. The orientation and synchronization of ciliary motion responds in part to the organization of the underlying cytoskeletal networks. Using electron tomography on mouse trachea, we show that basal bodies are collectively hooked at the cortex by a regular microtubule array composed of 4–5 microtubules. Removal of galectin-3, one of basal-body components, provokes misrecruitment of γ-tubulin, disorganization of this microtubule framework emanating from the basal-foot cap, together with loss of basal-body alignment and cilium orientation, defects in cilium organization and reduced fluid flow in the tracheal lumen. We conclude that galectin-3 plays a crucial role in the maintenance of the microtubule-organizing centre of the cilium and the ‘pillar’ microtubules, and that this network is instrumental for the coordinated orientation and stabilization of motile cilia. Coordinated beating of motile cilia is important to clear mucus from the airway. Here, Clare et al . show that galectin-3 at the base of motile cilia in the trachea is important for connecting cortical microtubules to the basal body, and subsequent organization and coordination of beating cilia.