Chlamydomonas Basal Bodies as Flagella Organizing Centers

Abstract

During ciliogenesis, centrioles convert to membrane-docked basal bodies, which initiate the formation of cilia/flagella and template the nine doublet microtubules of the flagellar axoneme. The discovery that many human diseases and developmental disorders result from defects in flagella has fueled a strong interest in the analysis of flagellar assembly. Here, we will review the structure, function, and development of basal bodies in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a widely used model for the analysis of basal bodies and flagella. Intraflagellar transport (IFT), a flagella-specific protein shuttle critical for ciliogenesis, was first described in C. reinhardtii. A focus of this review will be on the role of the basal bodies in organizing the IFT machinery.

Keywords

• bld2
• bld10
• bld12
• centrin
• striated fiber assemblin (SFA)
• intraflagellar transport (IFT)
• axoneme
• central pair
• microtubules
• centriole