Research

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Title :

Ultrastructure characterization of Chlamydomonas intraflagellar transport mutants for molecular understanding of ciliary defects and their relevance to ciliopathies

Area of research :

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Principal Investigator :

Prof. Suneel Kateriya, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

Cilia are microtubular structures on cell surfaces that perform various functions, including motility, sensory function, and secretory function. They cannot be synthesized inside the ciliary compartment, so their morphology, length, and function depend on cytoplasmic protein synthesis machinery and Intraflagellar transport machinery. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a motor-dependent bidirectional cargo movement that operates inside the cilium/flagellum and transports molecules up and downhill for growth and maintenance. IFT particles, present at the ciliary base, consist of two complexes: complex A, which transports cargo from the ciliary top to the base, and complex B, which uses kinesin-2 motor for anterograde transport. IFT proteins interact with one another and cargo proteins for transport, forming large macromolecular complexes. Mutations in conserved domains of IFT proteins can change IFT protein-protein interactions, leading to ciliary defects and human ciliopathies. The study aims to study IFT complex/BBSome protein-protein interactions in wild type and IFT mutants across different biological systems and in Chlamydomonas cells using biochemical methods, transmission electron microscopy, and single-molecule super-resolution fluorescence microscopy in live cells.

Total Budget (INR):

49,87,620

Organizations involved