Mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that move backwards only

The MBO2/FAP58 heterodimer stabilizes assembly of inner arm dynein b and reveals axoneme asymmetries involved in ciliary waveform

Cilia generate three-dimensional waveforms required for cell motility and transport of fluid, mucus, and particles over the cell surface. This movement is driven by multiple dynein motors attached to nine outer doublet microtubules that form the axoneme. The outer and inner arm dyneins are organized into 96-nm repeats tandemly arrayed along the length of the doublets. Motility is regulated in part by projections from the two central pair microtubules that contact radial spokes located near the base of the inner dynein arms in each repeat. Although much is known about the structures and protein complexes within the axoneme, many questions remain about the regulatory mechanisms that allow the cilia to modify their waveforms in response to internal or external stimuli. Here, we used Chlamydomonas mbo (move backwards only) mutants with altered waveforms to identify at least two conserved proteins, MBO2/CCDC146 and FAP58/CCDC147, that form part of a L-shaped structure that varies between doublet microtubules. Comparative proteomics identified additional missing proteins that are altered in other motility mutants, revealing overlapping protein defects. Cryo-electron tomography and epitope tagging revealed that the L-shaped, MBO2/FAP58 structure interconnects inner dynein arms with multiple regulatory complexes, consistent with its function in modifying the ciliary waveform.

Lack of CCDC146, a ubiquitous centriole and microtubule-associated protein, leads to non-syndromic male infertility in human and mouse

From a cohort of 167 infertile patients suffering from multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum (MMAF), pathogenic bi-allelic mutations were identified in the CCDC146 gene. In somatic cells, CCDC146 is located at the centrosome and at multiple microtubule-related organelles during mitotic division, suggesting that it is a microtubule-associated protein (MAP). To decipher the molecular pathogenesis of infertility associated with CCDC146 mutations, a Ccdc146 knock-out (KO) mouse line was created. KO male mice were infertile, and sperm exhibited a phenotype identical to CCDC146 mutated patients. CCDC146 expression starts during late spermiogenesis. In the spermatozoon, the protein is conserved but is not localized to centrioles, unlike in somatic cells, rather it is present in the axoneme at the level of microtubule doublets. Expansion microscopy associated with the use of the detergent sarkosyl to solubilize microtubule doublets suggests that the protein may be a microtubule inner protein (MIP). At the subcellular level, the absence of CCDC146 impacted all microtubule-based organelles such as the manchette, the head-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA), and the axoneme. Through this study, a new genetic cause of infertility and a new factor in the formation and/or structure of the sperm axoneme were characterized.

Axonemal structures reveal mechanoregulatory and disease mechanisms

Motile cilia and flagella beat rhythmically on the surface of cells to power the flow of fluid and to enable spermatozoa and unicellular eukaryotes to swim. In humans, defective ciliary motility can lead to male infertility and a congenital disorder called primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), in which impaired clearance of mucus by the cilia causes chronic respiratory infections1. Ciliary movement is generated by the axoneme, a molecular machine consisting of microtubules, ATP-powered dynein motors and regulatory complexes2. The size and complexity of the axoneme has so far prevented the development of an atomic model, hindering efforts to understand how it functions. Here we capitalize on recent developments in artificial intelligence-enabled structure prediction and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structure of the 96-nm modular repeats of axonemes from the flagella of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and human respiratory cilia. Our atomic models provide insights into the conservation and specialization of axonemes, the interconnectivity between dyneins and their regulators, and the mechanisms that maintain axonemal periodicity. Correlated conformational changes in mechanoregulatory complexes with their associated axonemal dynein motors provide a mechanism for the long-hypothesized mechanotransduction pathway to regulate ciliary motility. Structures of respiratory-cilia doublet microtubules from four individuals with PCD reveal how the loss of individual docking factors can selectively eradicate periodically repeating structures.

The single flagellum of Leishmania has a fixed polarisation of its asymmetric beat

Eukaryotic flagella undertake different beat types as necessary for different functions; for example, the Leishmania parasite flagellum undergoes a symmetric tip-to-base beat for forward swimming and an asymmetric base-to-tip beat to rotate the cell. In multi-ciliated tissues or organisms, the asymmetric beats are coordinated, leading to movement of the cell, organism or surrounding fluid. This coordination involves a polarisation of power stroke direction. Here, we asked whether the asymmetric beat of the single Leishmania flagellum also has a fixed polarisation. We developed high frame rate dual-colour fluorescence microscopy to visualise flagellar-associated structures in live swimming cells. This showed that the asymmetric Leishmania beat is polarised, with power strokes only occurring in one direction relative to the asymmetric flagellar machinery. Polarisation of bending was retained in deletion mutants whose flagella cannot beat but have a static bend. Furthermore, deletion mutants for proteins required for asymmetric extra-axonemal and rootlet-like flagellum-associated structures also retained normal polarisation. Leishmania beat polarisation therefore likely arises from either the nine-fold rotational symmetry of the axoneme structure or is due to differences between the outer doublet decorations.

Highlighted Article: By using high speed, high-resolution fluorescence microscopy of swimming Leishmania cells, we showed that the asymmetric flagellar beat always wafts in the same direction and investigate which structures are involved.

Asymmetries in the cilia of Chlamydomonas

The generation of ciliary waveforms requires the spatial and temporal regulation of dyneins. This review catalogues many of the asymmetric structures and proteins in the cilia of Chlamydomonas, a unicellular alga with two cilia that are used for motility in liquid medium. These asymmetries, which have been identified through mutant analysis, cryo-EM tomography and proteomics, provide a wealth of information to use for modelling how waveforms are generated and propagated. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Unity and diversity of cilia in locomotion and transport'.

Computer-Assisted Tracking of Chlamydomonas Species

The green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model system for motility in unicellular organisms. Photo-, gravi-, and chemotaxis have previously been associated with C. reinhardtii, and observing the extent of these responses within a population of cells is crucial for refining our understanding of how this organism responds to changing environmental conditions. However, manually tracking and modeling a statistically viable number of samples of these microorganisms is an unreasonable task. We hypothesized that automated particle tracking systems are now sufficiently advanced to effectively characterize such populations. Here, we present an automated method to observe C. reinhardtii motility that allows us to identify individual cells as well as global information on direction, speed, and size. Nutrient availability effects on wild-type C. reinhardtii swimming speeds, as well as changes in speed and directionality in response to light, were characterized using this method. We also provide for the first time the swimming speeds of several motility-deficient mutant lines. While our present effort is focused around the unicellular green algae, C. reinhardtii, we confirm the general utility of this approach using Chlamydomonas moewusii, another member of this genus which contains over 300 species. Our work provides new tools for evaluating and modeling motility in this model organism and establishes the methodology for conducting similar experiments on other unicellular microorganisms.

Genetic dissection of a Leishmania flagellar proteome demonstrates requirement for directional motility in sand fly infections

The protozoan parasite Leishmania possesses a single flagellum, which is remodelled during the parasite’s life cycle from a long motile flagellum in promastigote forms in the sand fly to a short immotile flagellum in amastigotes residing in mammalian phagocytes. This study examined the protein composition and in vivo function of the promastigote flagellum. Protein mass spectrometry and label free protein enrichment testing of isolated flagella and deflagellated cell bodies defined a flagellar proteome for L. mexicana promastigote forms (available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD011057). This information was used to generate a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library of 100 mutants to screen for flagellar defects. This first large-scale knockout screen in a Leishmania sp. identified 56 mutants with altered swimming speed (52 reduced and 4 increased) and defined distinct mutant categories (faster swimmers, slower swimmers, slow uncoordinated swimmers and paralysed cells, including aflagellate promastigotes and cells with curled flagella and disruptions of the paraflagellar rod). Each mutant was tagged with a unique 17-nt barcode, providing a simple barcode sequencing (bar-seq) method for measuring the relative fitness of L. mexicana mutants in vivo. In mixed infections of the permissive sand fly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis, paralysed promastigotes and uncoordinated swimmers were severely diminished in the fly after defecation of the bloodmeal. Subsequent examination of flies infected with a single paralysed mutant lacking the central pair protein PF16 or an uncoordinated swimmer lacking the axonemal protein MBO2 showed that these promastigotes did not reach anterior regions of the fly alimentary tract. These data show that L. mexicana need directional motility for successful colonisation of sand flies.

Leishmania are protozoan parasites, transmitted between mammals by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. Promastigote forms in the sand fly have a long flagellum, which is motile and used for anchoring the parasites to prevent clearance with the digested blood meal remnants. To dissect flagellar functions and their importance in life cycle progression, we generated here a comprehensive list of >300 flagellar proteins and produced a CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout library of 100 mutant Leishmania. We studied their behaviour in vitro before examining their fate in the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Measuring mutant swimming speeds showed that about half behaved differently compared to the wild type: a few swam faster, many slower and some were completely paralysed. We also found a group of uncoordinated swimmers. To test whether flagellar motility is required for parasite migration from the fly midgut to the foregut from where they reach the next host, we infected sand flies with a mixed mutant population. Each mutant carried a unique tag and tracking these tags up to nine days after infection showed that paralysed and uncoordinated Leishmania were rapidly lost from flies. These data indicate that directional swimming is important for successful colonisation of sand flies.

PACRG and FAP20 form the inner junction of axonemal doublet microtubules and regulate ciliary motility

We previously demonstrated that PACRG plays a role in regulating dynein-driven microtubule sliding in motile cilia. To expand our understanding of the role of PACRG in ciliary assembly and motility, we used a combination of functional and structural studies, including newly identified Chlamydomonas pacrg mutants. Using cryo-electron tomography we show that PACRG and FAP20 form the inner junction between the A- and B-tubule along the length of all nine ciliary doublet microtubules. The lack of PACRG and FAP20 also results in reduced assembly of inner-arm dynein IDA b and the beak-MIP structures. In addition, our functional studies reveal that loss of PACRG and/or FAP20 causes severe cell motility defects and reduced in vitro microtubule sliding velocities. Interestingly, the addition of exogenous PACRG and/or FAP20 protein to isolated mutant axonemes restores microtubule sliding velocities, but not ciliary beating. Taken together, these studies show that PACRG and FAP20 comprise the inner junction bridge that serves as a hub for both directly modulating dynein-driven microtubule sliding, as well as for the assembly of additional ciliary components that play essential roles in generating coordinated ciliary beating.

DRC2/CCDC65 is a central hub for assembly of the nexin-dynein regulatory complex and other regulators of ciliary and flagellar motility

DRC2 is a subunit of the nexin–dynein regulatory complex linked to primary ciliary dyskinesia. Little is known about the impact of drc2 mutations on axoneme composition and structure. We used proteomic and structural approaches to reveal that DRC2 coassembles with DRC1 to attach the N-DRC to the A-tubule and mediate interactions with other regulatory structures.

The nexin–dynein regulatory complex (N-DRC) plays a central role in the regulation of ciliary and flagellar motility. In most species, the N-DRC contains at least 11 subunits, but the specific function of each subunit is unknown. Mutations in three subunits (DRC1, DRC2/CCDC65, DRC4/GAS8) have been linked to defects in ciliary motility in humans and lead to a ciliopathy known as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Here we characterize the biochemical, structural, and motility phenotypes of two mutations in the DRC2 gene of Chlamydomonas. Using high-resolution proteomic and structural approaches, we find that the C-terminal region of DRC2 is critical for the coassembly of DRC2 and DRC1 to form the base plate of N-DRC and its attachment to the outer doublet microtubule. Loss of DRC2 in drc2 mutants disrupts the assembly of several other N-DRC subunits and also destabilizes the assembly of several closely associated structures such as the inner dynein arms, the radial spokes, and the calmodulin- and spoke-associated complex. Our study provides new insights into the range of ciliary defects that can lead to PCD.

Axoneme Structure from Motile Cilia

The axoneme is the main extracellular part of cilia and flagella in eukaryotes. It consists of a microtubule cytoskeleton, which normally comprises nine doublets. In motile cilia, dynein ATPase motor proteins generate sliding motions between adjacent microtubules, which are integrated into a well-orchestrated beating or rotational motion. In primary cilia, there are a number of sensory proteins functioning on membranes surrounding the axoneme. In both cases, as the study of proteomics has elucidated, hundreds of proteins exist in this compartmentalized biomolecular system. In this article, we review the recent progress of structural studies of the axoneme and its components using electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, mainly focusing on motile cilia. Structural biology presents snapshots (but not live imaging) of dynamic structural change and gives insights into the force generation mechanism of dynein, ciliary bending mechanism, ciliogenesis, and evolution of the axoneme.

Curvature regulation of the ciliary beat through axonemal twist

Cilia and flagella are hairlike organelles that propel cells through fluid. The active motion of the axoneme, the motile structure inside cilia and flagella, is powered by molecular motors of the axonemal dynein family. These motors generate forces and torques that slide and bend the microtubule doublets within the axoneme. To create regular waveforms, the activities of the dyneins must be coordinated. It is thought that coordination is mediated by stresses due to radial, transverse, or sliding deformations, and which build up within the moving axoneme and feed back on dynein activity. However, which particular components of the stress regulate the motors to produce the observed waveforms of the many different types of flagella remains an open question. To address this question, we describe the axoneme as a three-dimensional bundle of filaments and characterize its mechanics. We show that regulation of the motors by radial and transverse stresses can lead to a coordinated flagellar motion only in the presence of twist. We show that twist, which could arise from torque produced by the dyneins, couples curvature to transverse and radial stresses. We calculate emergent beating patterns in twisted axonemes resulting from regulation by transverse stresses. The resulting waveforms are similar to those observed in flagella of Chlamydomonas and sperm. Due to the twist, the waveform has nonplanar components, which result in swimming trajectories such as twisted ribbons and helices, which agree with observations.

Independent Control of the Static and Dynamic Components of the Chlamydomonas Flagellar Beat

When the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii swims, it uses the breaststroke beat of its two flagella to pull itself forward [1]. The flagellar waveform can be decomposed into a static component, corresponding to an asymmetric time-averaged shape, and a dynamic component, corresponding to the time-varying wave [2]. Extreme lightening conditions photoshock the cell, converting the breaststroke beat into a symmetric sperm-like beat, which causes a reversal of the direction of swimming [3]. Waveform conversion is achieved by a reduction in magnitude of the static component, whereas the dynamic component remains unchanged [2]. The coupling between static and dynamic components, however, is poorly understood, and it is not known whether the static component requires the dynamic component or whether it can exist independently. We used isolated and reactivated axonemes [4] to investigate the relation between the two beat components. We discovered that, when reactivated in the presence of low ATP concentrations, axonemes displayed the static beat component in absence of the dynamic component. Furthermore, we found that the amplitudes of the two components depend on ATP in qualitatively different ways. These results show that the decomposition into static and dynamic components is not just a mathematical concept but that the two components can independently control different aspects of cell motility: the static component controls swimming direction, whereas the dynamic component provides propulsion.

The Chlamydomonas mutant pf27 reveals novel features of ciliary radial spoke assembly

To address the mechanisms of ciliary radial spoke assembly, we took advantage of the Chlamydomonas pf27 mutant. The radial spokes that assemble in pf27 are localized to the proximal quarter of the axoneme, but otherwise are fully assembled into 20S radial spoke complexes competent to bind spokeless axonemes in vitro. Thus, pf27 is not defective in radial spoke assembly or docking to the axoneme. Rather, our results suggest that pf27 is defective in the transport of spoke complexes. During ciliary regeneration in pf27, radial spoke assembly occurs asynchronously from other axonemal components. In contrast, during ciliary regeneration in wild-type Chlamydomonas, radial spokes and other axonemal components assemble concurrently as the axoneme grows. Complementation in temporary dikaryons between wild-type and pf27 reveals rescue of radial spoke assembly that begins at the distal tip, allowing further assembly to proceed from tip to base of the axoneme. Notably, rescued assembly of radial spokes occurred independently of the established proximal radial spokes in pf27 axonemes in dikaryons. These results reveal that 20S radial spokes can assemble proximally in the pf27 cilium but as the cilium lengthens, spoke assembly requires transport. We postulate that PF27 encodes an adaptor or modifier protein required for radial spoke–IFT interaction.

FAP20 is an inner junction protein of doublet microtubules essential for both the planar asymmetrical waveform and stability of flagella in Chlamydomonas

The question of what proteins compose the junctions between two tubules in doublet microtubules is long-standing. Here a conserved flagellar protein, FAP20, is shown to be an inner junction component important for stabilizing the axoneme and scaffolding intra–B-tubular structures required for a planar asymmetrical waveform.

The axoneme—the conserved core of eukaryotic cilia and flagella—contains highly specialized doublet microtubules (DMTs). A long-standing question is what protein(s) compose the junctions between two tubules in DMT. Here we identify a highly conserved flagellar-associated protein (FAP), FAP20, as an inner junction (IJ) component. The flagella of Chlamydomonas FAP20 mutants have normal length but beat with an abnormal symmetrical three-dimensional pattern. In addition, the mutant axonemes are liable to disintegrate during beating, implying that interdoublet connections may be weakened. Conventional electron microscopy shows that the mutant axonemes lack the IJ, and cryo–electron tomography combined with a structural labeling method reveals that the labeled FAP20 localizes at the IJ. The mutant axonemes also lack doublet-specific beak structures, which are localized in the proximal portion of the axoneme and may be involved in planar asymmetric flagellar bending. FAP20 itself, however, may not be a beak component, because uniform localization of FAP20 along the entire length of all nine DMTs is inconsistent with the beak's localization. FAP20 is the first confirmed component of the IJ. Our data also suggest that the IJ is important for both stabilizing the axoneme and scaffolding intra–B-tubular substructures required for a planar asymmetrical waveform.

The awesome power of dikaryons for studying flagella and basal bodies in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Cilia/flagella and basal bodies/centrioles play key roles in human health and homeostasis. Among the organisms used to study these microtubule-based organelles, the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has several advantages. One is the existence of a temporary phase of the life cycle, termed the dikaryon. These cells are formed during mating when the cells fuse and the behavior of flagella from two genetically distinguishable parents can be observed. During this stage, the cytoplasms mix allowing for a defect in the flagella of one parent to be rescued by proteins from the other parent. This offers the unique advantage of adding back wild-type gene product or labeled protein at endogenous levels that can used to monitor various flagellar and basal body phenotypes. Mutants that show rescue and ones that fail to show rescue are both informative about the nature of the flagella and basal body defects. When rescue occurs, it can be used to determine the mutant gene product and to follow the temporal and spatial patterns of flagellar assembly. This review describes many examples of insights into basal body and flagellar proteins' function and assembly that have been discovered using dikaryons and discusses the potential for further analyses.

The conserved ciliary protein Bug22 controls planar beating of Chlamydomonas flagella

Eukaryotic flagella and cilia can exhibit planar and non-planar beating, and the mechanism controlling these beating patterns is not well understood. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella beat in approximately the same plane with either an asymmetric ciliary-type or symmetric flagellar-type waveform. Each B-tubule of the number 1, 5 and 6 doublets of the flagellar axoneme possesses a beak-like structure. The number 5 and 6 beak structures are implicated in conversion of ciliary motion into flagellar motion. Here, we show that in a null mutant of Bug22, the asymmetric ciliary waveform is converted into a three-dimensional (non-planar) symmetric flagellar waveform. Bug22 is localized to approximately the proximal half to two-thirds of the flagellum, similar to localization of beak-like structures. However, as shown by immunogold labeling, Bug22 associates with axonemal microtubules without apparent preference for any particular doublets. Interestingly, bug22 mutants lack all beak-like structures. We propose that one function of Bug22 is to regulate the anchoring of the beak-like structures to the doublet microtubules and confine flagellar beating to a plane.

CDKL5 regulates flagellar length and localizes to the base of the flagella in Chlamydomonas

Two mutations in LF5, which encodes a protein kinase orthologous to human CDKL5, cause abnormally long flagella in Chlamydomonas. The localization of LF5p to the very proximal region of flagella in WT cells is regulated by three other LF gene products, which make up the cytoplasmic length regulatory complex.

The length of Chlamydomonas flagella is tightly regulated. Mutations in four genes—LF1, LF2, LF3, and LF4—cause cells to assemble flagella up to three times wild-type length. LF2 and LF4 encode protein kinases. Here we describe a new gene, LF5, in which null mutations cause cells to assemble flagella of excess length. The LF5 gene encodes a protein kinase very similar in sequence to the protein kinase CDKL5. In humans, mutations in this kinase cause a severe form of juvenile epilepsy. The LF5 protein localizes to a unique location: the proximal 1 μm of the flagella. The proximal localization of the LF5 protein is lost when genes that make up the proteins in the cytoplasmic length regulatory complex (LRC)—LF1, LF2, and LF3—are mutated. In these mutants LF5p becomes localized either at the distal tip of the flagella or along the flagellar length, indicating that length regulation involves, at least in part, control of LF5p localization by the LRC.

Cryo-electron tomography reveals conserved features of doublet microtubules in flagella

The axoneme forms the essential and conserved core of cilia and flagella. We have used cryo-electron tomography of Chlamydomonas and sea urchin flagella to answer long-standing questions and to provide information about the structure of axonemal doublet microtubules (DMTs). Solving an ongoing controversy, we show that B-tubules of DMTs contain exactly 10 protofilaments (PFs) and that the inner junction (IJ) and outer junction between the A- and B-tubules are fundamentally different. The outer junction, crucial for the initiation of doublet formation, appears to be formed by close interactions between the tubulin subunits of three PFs with unusual tubulin interfaces; other investigators have reported that this junction is weakened by mutations affecting posttranslational modifications of tubulin. The IJ consists of an axially periodic ladder-like structure connecting tubulin PFs of the A- and B-tubules. The recently discovered microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) on the inside of the A- and B-tubules are more complex than previously thought. They are composed of alternating small and large subunits with periodicities of 16 and/or 48 nm. MIP3 forms arches connecting B-tubule PFs, contrary to an earlier report that MIP3 forms the IJ. Finally, the "beak" structures within the B-tubules of Chlamydomonas DMT1, DMT5, and DMT6 are clearly composed of a longitudinal band of proteins repeating with a periodicity of 16 nm. These findings, discussed in relation to genetic and biochemical data, provide a critical foundation for future work on the molecular assembly and stability of the axoneme, as well as its function in motility and sensory transduction.

bop5 Mutations reveal new roles for the IC138 phosphoprotein in the regulation of flagellar motility and asymmetric waveforms

Mutations in the IC138 regulatory subunit of I1 dynein alter dynein motor activity and the flagellar waveform but do not affect phototaxis.

I1 dynein, or dynein f, is a highly conserved inner arm isoform that plays a key role in the regulation of flagellar motility. To understand how the IC138 IC/LC subcomplex modulates I1 activity, we characterized the molecular lesions and motility phenotypes of several bop5 alleles. bop5-3, bop5-4, and bop5-5 are null alleles, whereas bop5-6 is an intron mutation that reduces IC138 expression. I1 dynein assembles into the axoneme, but the IC138 IC/LC subcomplex is missing. bop5 strains, like other I1 mutants, swim forward with reduced swimming velocities and display an impaired reversal response during photoshock. Unlike mutants lacking the entire I1 dynein, however, bop5 strains exhibit normal phototaxis. bop5 defects are rescued by transformation with the wild-type IC138 gene. Analysis of flagellar waveforms reveals that loss of the IC138 subcomplex reduces shear amplitude, sliding velocities, and the speed of bend propagation in vivo, consistent with the reduction in microtubule sliding velocities observed in vitro. The results indicate that the IC138 IC/LC subcomplex is necessary to generate an efficient waveform for optimal motility, but it is not essential for phototaxis. These findings have significant implications for the mechanisms by which IC/LC complexes regulate dynein motor activity independent of effects on cargo binding or complex stability.

Regulation of flagellar motility by the conserved flagellar protein CG34110/Ccdc135/FAP50

Eukaryotic cilia and flagella are vital sensory and motile organelles. The calcium channel PKD2 mediates sensory perception on cilia and flagella, and defects in this can contribute to ciliopathic diseases. Signaling from Pkd2-dependent Ca²+ rise in the cilium to downstream effectors may require intermediary proteins that are largely unknown. To identify these proteins, we carried out genetic screens for mutations affecting Drosophila melanogaster sperm storage, a process mediated by Drosophila Pkd2. Here we show that a new mutation lost boys (lobo) encodes a conserved flagellar protein CG34110, which corresponds to vertebrate Ccdc135 (E = 6e-78) highly expressed in ciliated respiratory epithelia and sperm, and to FAP50 (E = 1e-28) in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagellar proteome. CG34110 localizes along the fly sperm flagellum. FAP50 is tightly associated with the outer doublet microtubules of the axoneme and appears not to be a component of the central pair, radial spokes, dynein arms, or structures defined by the mbo waveform mutants. Phenotypic analyses indicate that both Pkd2 and lobo specifically affect sperm movement into the female storage receptacle. We hypothesize that the CG34110/Ccdc135/FAP50 family of conserved flagellar proteins functions within the axoneme to mediate Pkd2-dependent processes in the sperm flagellum and other motile cilia.

Select acetophenones modulate flagellar motility in chlamydomonas

Acetophenones were screened for activity against positive phototaxis of Chlamydomonas cells, a process that requires co-ordinated flagellar motility. The structure-activity relationships of a series of acetophenones are reported, including acetophenones that affect flagellar motility and cell viability. Notably, 4-methoxyacetophenone, 3,4-dimethoxyacetophenone, and 4-hydroxyacetophenone induced negative phototaxis in Chlamydomonas, suggesting interference with activity of flagellar proteins and control of flagellar dominance.

A novel ankyrin-repeat protein interacts with the regulatory proteins of inner arm dynein f (I1) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

How ciliary and flagellar motility is regulated is a challenging problem. The flagellar movement in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is in part regulated by phosphorylation of a 138 kD intermediate chain (IC138) of inner arm dynein f (also called I1). In the present study, we found that the axoneme of mutants lacking dynein f lacks a novel protein having ankyrin repeat motifs, registered as FAP120 in the flagellar proteome database. FAP120 is also missing or decreased in the axonemes of bop5, a mutant that has a mutation in the structural gene of IC138 but assembles the dynein f complex. Intriguingly, the amounts of FAP120 in the axonemes of different alleles of bop5 and several dynein f-lacking mutants roughly parallel their contents of IC138. These results suggest a weak but stoichiometric interaction between FAP120 and IC138. We propose that FAP120 functions in the regulatoryprocess as part of a protein complex involving IC138. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

IC138 defines a subdomain at the base of the I1 dynein that regulates microtubule sliding and flagellar motility

To understand the mechanisms that regulate the assembly and activity of flagellar dyneins, we focused on the I1 inner arm dynein (dynein f) and a null allele, bop5-2, defective in the gene encoding the IC138 phosphoprotein subunit. I1 dynein assembles in bop5-2 axonemes but lacks at least four subunits: IC138, IC97, LC7b, and flagellar-associated protein (FAP) 120--defining a new I1 subcomplex. Electron microscopy and image averaging revealed a defect at the base of the I1 dynein, in between radial spoke 1 and the outer dynein arms. Microtubule sliding velocities also are reduced. Transformation with wild-type IC138 restores assembly of the IC138 subcomplex and rescues microtubule sliding. These observations suggest that the IC138 subcomplex is required to coordinate I1 motor activity. To further test this hypothesis, we analyzed microtubule sliding in radial spoke and double mutant strains. The results reveal an essential role for the IC138 subcomplex in the regulation of I1 activity by the radial spoke/phosphorylation pathway.

Functional genomics in Trypanosoma brucei identifies evolutionarily conserved components of motile flagella

Cilia and flagella are highly conserved, complex organelles involved in a variety of important functions. Flagella are required for motility of several human pathogens and ciliary defects lead to a variety of fatal and debilitating human diseases. Many of the major structural components of cilia and flagella are known, but little is known about regulation of flagellar beat. Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, provides an excellent model for studying flagellar motility. We have used comparative genomics to identify a core group of 50 genes unique to organisms with motile flagella. These genes, referred to as T. brucei components of motile flagella (TbCMF) include 30 novel genes, and human homologues of many of the TbCMF genes map to loci associated with human ciliary diseases. To characterize TbCMF protein function we used RNA interference to target 41 TbCMF genes. Sedimentation assays and direct observation demonstrated clear motility defects in a majority of these knockdown mutants. Epitope tagging, fluorescence localization and biochemical fractionation demonstrated flagellar localization for several TbCMF proteins. Finally, ultrastructural analysis identified a family of novel TbCMF proteins that function to maintain connections between outer doublet microtubules, suggesting that they are the first identified components of nexin links. Overall, our results provide insights into the workings of the eukaryotic flagellum, identify several novel human disease gene candidates, reveal unique aspects of the trypanosome flagellum and underscore the value of T. brucei as an experimental system for studying flagellar biology.

Two flagellar genes, AGG2 and AGG3, mediate orientation to light in Chlamydomonas

Ciliary membranes have a large repertoire of receptors and ion channels that act to transduce information from the environment to the cell. Chlamydomonas offers a tractable system for dissecting the transport and function of ciliary and flagellar membrane proteins. Isolation of ergosterol and sphingolipid-enriched Chlamydomonas flagellar membrane domains identified potential signaling molecules by mass spectroscopy. These include a membrane protein and a matrix flavodoxin protein that are encoded by the AGG2 and AGG3 genes, respectively. Agg2p localizes to the proximal flagellar membrane near the basal bodies. Agg3p is distributed throughout the flagellar matrix, with an increased concentration in the proximal regions where Agg2p is located. Chlamydomonas cells sense light by using a microbial-type rhodopsin , transduce a signal from the cell body to the flagella, and alter the waveform of the flagella to turn a cell toward the light. Protein depletion by RNA interference reveals that both AGG gene products play roles in the orientation of cells to a directional light source. The depleted strains mimic the phenotype of the previously identified agg1 mutant, which swims away from light. We propose that the localization of Agg2p and Agg3p to the proximal region of the flagella may be important for interpreting light signals.

Chlamydomonas phototaxis

Chlamydomonas has long been a favourite organism for genetic and biochemical studies of flagellar motility and assembly, photosynthesis, and organelle genomes. With the recent development of procedures for the efficient transformation of its nuclear genome, Chlamydomonas has become accessible to a wide range of molecular genetic approaches, including gene tagging by insertional mutagenesis and cloning by complementation. The availability of these powerful techniques is stimulating interest in Chlamydomonas as a model system for research in areas where it previously has not been widely exploited. One such area that holds particular promise is phototransduction and the behavioural response to light.

Gravitaxis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Studied with Novel Mutants

Many free-swimming unicellular organisms show negative gravitaxis, i.e. tend to swim upward, although their specific densities are higher than the medium density. To obtain clues to the mechanism of this behavior, we examined how a mutation in motility or behavior affects the gravitaxis in Chlamydomonas. A phototaxis mutant, ptx3, deficient in membrane excitability showed weakened gravitaxis, whereas another phototaxis mutant, ptx1, deficient in regulation of flagellar dominance displayed normal gravitaxis. Two mutants that swim backwards only, mbo1 and mbo2, did not show any clear gravitaxis. We also isolated two novel mutants deficient in gravitaxis, gtx1 and gtx2. These mutants displayed normal motility and physical characteristics of cell body as assessed by the behavior of anesthetized cells. However, these cells were found to have defects in physiological responses involving membrane excitation. These observations are consistent with the idea that the gravitaxis in Chlamydomonas involves a physiological signal transduction system, which is at least partially independent of the system used for phototaxis.

The Chlamydomonas MBO2 locus encodes a conserved coiled-coil protein important for flagellar waveform conversion

Chlamydomonas flagella can undergo a calcium-dependent conversion between an asymmetric ciliary waveform and a symmetric flagellar waveform. Mutations at three MBO loci abolish the predominant ciliary waveform and result in cells that move backward only with the flagellar waveform. We have cloned and characterized the MBO2 gene. It encodes a novel protein with extensive alpha-helical coiled-coils and two leucine zippers. Sequences highly similar to MBO2p were found in a variety of organisms with cilia and flagella, suggesting that the MBO2 gene function may be conserved in many diverse taxa. Antibodies to MBO2p recognized an axonemal protein of 110 kDa, which appeared to be tightly associated with doublet microtubules. The protein was present in flagella of a variety of paralyzed flagellar mutants that lacked different axonemal structures, indicating that MBO2p is a component of a previously uncharacterized flagellar protein complex. In contrast to the earlier suggestion that the MBO2 gene may encode a component of an intramicrotubular beak-like structure present only proximally in flagella, we localized an epitope-tagged MBO2p along the entire length of the flagella. Moreover, the insertion of a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope in the conserved C-terminal domain of MBO2p reduced the swimming velocity of cells transformed with the epitope-tagged gene. These results indicate that MBO2p may play a role both in the assembly of the beak-like structure and the regulation of the force-generation machinery during the ciliary beat.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: biological rationale for genomics

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been the subject of genetic, biochemical, cytological, and molecular analyses for over 50 years. It is an ideal model system for the study of flagella and basal bodies as well as the study of photosynthesis and chloroplast biogenesis, cell-cell recognition and fusion, phototaxis, and secretion. It is clear that many of the genes identified in Chlamydomonas have homologs in land plants as well as animals. Thus, a genomic approach in Chlamydomonas will provide another important avenue for the understanding of important biological processes.

Ca2+-dependent waveform conversion in the flagellar axoneme of Chlamydomonas mutants lacking the central-pair/radial spoke system

Chlamydomonas flagella undergo a striking waveform conversion from an asymmetrical ciliary type to a symmetrical flagellar type when the cell is stimulated by intense light and the Ca2+ concentration within the flagellum is increased above approximately 10(-6) M. To see whether the central-pair/radial spoke system is needed for this conversion as suggested by previous studies, we examined the effect of Ca2+ on the reactivated axonemes of the mutants lacking the central pair (pf18) or the radial spokes (pf14). Although the flagella of these mutants are paralyzed in vivo, demembranated axonemes can be reactivated to beat under certain nucleotide conditions such as in the presence of low concentrations (< 100 microM) of ATP. We examined the waveform of the axonemes reactivated at 20 microM ATP in the presence of 10(-8)-10(-4) M Ca2+ and found that these axonemes, as well as the wild-type axonemes, undergo a waveform conversion over a Ca2+ concentration range of 10(-7)-10(-5) M: a highly asymmetrical waveform at <10(-6) M Ca2+ and a symmetrical waveform at >=10(-5) M Ca2+. Although the waveform is different between the mutants and the wild type, the Ca2+ concentration at which the waveform conversion occurred was similar. These results indicate that the central pair/radial spoke system is not essential for the waveform conversion.

A dynein light chain is essential for the retrograde particle movement of intraflagellar transport (IFT)

Several enzymes, including cytoplasmic and flagellar outer arm dynein, share an Mr 8,000 light chain termed LC8. The function of this chain is unknown, but it is highly conserved between a wide variety of organisms. We have identified deletion alleles of the gene (fla14) encoding this protein in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. These mutants have short, immotile flagella with deficiencies in radial spokes, in the inner and outer arms, and in the beak-like projections in the B tubule of the outer doublet microtubules. Most dramatically, the space between the doublet microtubules and the flagellar membrane contains an unusually high number of rafts, the particles translocated by intraflagellar transport (IFT) (Kozminski, K.G., P.L. Beech, and J.L. Rosenbaum. 1995. J. Cell Biol. 131:1517-1527). IFT is a rapid bidirectional movement of rafts under the flagellar membrane along axonemal microtubules. Anterograde IFT is dependent on a kinesin whereas the motor for retrograde IFT is unknown. Anterograde IFT is normal in the LC8 mutants but retrograde IFT is absent; this undoubtedly accounts for the accumulation of rafts in the flagellum. This is the first mutation shown to specifically affect retrograde IFT; the fact that LC8 loss affects retrograde IFT strongly suggests that cytoplasmic dynein is the motor that drives this process. Concomitant with the accumulation of rafts, LC8 mutants accumulate proteins that are components of the 15-16S IFT complexes (Cole, D.G., D.R. Deiner, A.L. Himelblau, P.L. Beech, J.C. Fuster, and J.L. Rosenbaum. 1998. J. Cell Biol. 141:993-1008), confirming that these complexes are subunits of the rafts. Polystyrene microbeads are still translocated on the surface of the flagella of LC8 mutants, indicating that the motor for flagellar surface motility is different than the motor for retrograde IFT.

Phosphoregulation of an inner dynein arm complex in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is altered in phototactic mutant strains

To gain a further understanding of axonemal dynein regulation, mutant strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that had defects in both phototactic behavior and flagellar motility were identified and characterized. ptm1, ptm2, and ptm3 mutant strains exhibited motility phenotypes that resembled those of known inner dynein arm region mutant strains, but did not have biochemical or genetic phenotypes characteristic of other inner dynein arm mutations. Three other mutant strains had defects in the f class of inner dynein arms. Dynein extracts from the pf9-4 strain were missing the entire f complex. Strains with mutations in pf9/ida1, ida2, or ida3 failed to assemble the f dynein complex and did not exhibit phototactic behavior. Fractionated dynein from mia1-1 and mia2-1 axonemes exhibited a novel f class inner dynein arm biochemical phenotype; the 138-kD f intermediate chain was present in altered phosphorylation forms. In vitro axonemal dynein activity was reduced by the mia1-1 and mia2-1 mutations. The addition of kinase inhibitor restored axonemal dynein activity concomitant with the dephosphorylation of the 138-kD f intermediate chain. Dynein extracts from uni1-1 axonemes, which specifically assemble only one of the two flagella, contained relatively high levels of the altered phosphorylation forms of the 138-kD intermediate chain. We suggest that the f dynein complex may be phosphoregulated asymmetrically between the two flagella to achieve phototactic turning.

The sup-pf-2 mutations of Chlamydomonas alter the activity of the outer dynein arms by modification of the gamma-dynein heavy chain

The sup-pf-2 mutation is a member of a group of dynein regulatory mutations that are capable of restoring motility to paralyzed central pair or radial spoke defective strains. Previous work has shown that the flagellar beat frequency is reduced in sup-pf-2, but little else was known about the sup-pf-2 phenotype (Huang, B., Z. Ramanis, and D.J.L. Luck. 1982. Cell. 28:115-125; Brokaw, C.J., and D.J.L. Luck. 1985. Cell Motil. 5:195-208). We have reexamined sup-pf-2 using improved biochemical and structural techniques and by the analysis of additional sup-pf-2 alleles. We have found that the sup-pf-2 mutations are associated with defects in the outer dynein arms. Biochemical analysis of sup-pf-2-1 axonemes indicates that both axonemal ATPase activity and outer arm polypeptides are reduced by 40-50% when compared with wild type. By thin-section EM, these defects correlate with an approximately 45% loss of outer dynein arm structures. Interestingly, this loss is biased toward a subset of outer doublets, resulting in a radial asymmetry that may reflect some aspect of outer arm assembly. The defects in outer arm assembly do not appear to result from defects in either the outer doublet microtubules or the outer arm docking structures, but rather appear to result from defects in outer dynein arm components. Analysis of new sup-pf-2 mutations indicates that the severity of the outer arm assembly defects varies with different alleles. Complementation tests and linkage analysis reveal that the sup-pf-2 mutations are alleles of the PF28/ODA2 locus, which is thought to encode the gamma-dynein heavy chain subunit of the outer arm. The sup-pf-2 mutations therefore appear to alter the activity of the outer dynein arms by modification of the gamma-dynein heavy chain.

A sex recognition glycoprotein is encoded by the plus mating-type gene fus1 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Sexual fusion between plus and minus gametes of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii entails adhesion between plus-specific and minus-specific "fringe" proteins displayed on the plasma membrane of gametic mating structures. We report the identification of the gene (fus1) encoding the plus fringe glycoprotein, which resides in a unique domain of the mating-type plus (mt+) locus, and which was identified by transposon insertions in three fusion-defective mutant strains. Transformation with fus1+ restores fringe and fusion competence to these mutants and to the pseudo-plus mutant imp11 mt-, defective in minus differentiation. The fus1 gene is remarkable in lacking the codon bias found in all other nuclear genes of C. reinhardtii.

The bop2-1 mutation reveals radial asymmetry in the inner dynein arm region of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a mutant allele at the BOP2 locus swim slowly and have an abnormal flagellar waveform similar to previously identified strains with defects in the inner arm region. Double mutant strains with the bop2-1 allele and any of 17 different mutations that affect the dynein arm region swim more slowly than either parent, which suggests that the bop2-1 mutation does not affect solely the outer dynein arms, the I1 or ida4 inner dynein arms, or the dynein regulatory complex. Flagellar axonemes isolated from bop2-1 cells are missing a phosphorylated polypeptide of 152 kD. Electron microscopic analysis shows that bop2-1 axonemes are missing density in the inner dynein arm region. Surprisingly, two populations of images were observed in longitudinal sections of axonemes from the bop2-1 strain. In the 10 longitudinal axonemes examined, a portion of the dynein regulatory complex and a newly identified structure, the projection, are affected. In five of these 10 longitudinal axonemes examined, two lobes of the ida4 inner arm are also missing. By examining the cross-sectional images of wild-type and bop2-1 axonemes at each outer doublet position around the axoneme, we have determined that the bop2-1 mutation affects the assembly of inner arm region components in a doublet specific manner. Doublets 5, 6, and 8 have the most severe deficiency, doublet 9 has an intermediate phenotype, and doublets 2, 3, 4, and 7 have the least severe phenotype. The bop2-1 mutation provides the first evidence of radial asymmetry in the inner dynein arm region.

The mating-type locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contains highly rearranged DNA sequences

The mating-type locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exists as two apparent alleles (mt+ and mt-) that control mating in haploid gametes and sporulation and meiosis in diploid mt+/mt- zygotes. Twelve genes, seven unrelated to life cycle transitions, are tightly linked to mt, suggesting that the locus exerts recombinational suppression. A 1.1 Mb chromosome walk from a gene linked to mt demonstrates that the mt+ and mt- loci carry four intrachromosomal translocations, two inversions, and large deletions and duplications within a 190 kb sector, presumably accounting for the recombinational suppression that extends through 640 kb of flanking homologous DNA. The rearranged domain also carries blocks of mt(+)- and mt(-)-specific sequences, at least one of which includes a mt(+)-specific gene. The locus has the properties of an incipient sex chromosome.

Cloning of flagellar genes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by DNA insertional mutagenesis

Chlamydomonas is a popular genetic model system for studying many cellular processes. In this report, we describe a new approach to isolate Chlamydomonas genes using the cloned nitrate reductase gene (NIT1) as an insertional mutagen. A linearized plasmid containing the NIT1 gene was introduced into nit1 mutant cells by glass-bead transformation. Of 3000 Nit+ transformants examined, 74 showed motility defects of a wide range of phenotypes, suggesting that DNA transformation is an effective method for mutagenizing cells. For 13 of 15 such motility mutants backcrossed to nit- mutant strains, the motility phenotype cosegregated with the Nit+ phenotype, indicating that the motility defects of these 13 mutants may be caused by integration of the plasmid. Further genetic analysis indicated that three of these mutants contained alleles of previously identified loci: mbo2 (move backward only), pf13 (paralyzed flagella) and vfl1 (variable flagellar number). Three other abnormal-flagellar-number mutants did not map to any previously described loci at which mutations produce similar phenotypes. Genomic sequences flanking the integrated plasmid in the mbo2 and vfl1 mutants were isolated and used as probes to obtain wild-type genomic clones, which complemented the motility defects upon transformation into cells. Our results demonstrate the potential of this new approach for cloning genes identified by mutation in Chlamydomonas.

Flagellar, cellular and organismal polarity in Volvox carteri

It has previously been shown that the flagellar apparatus of the mature Volvox carteri somatic cell lacks the 180° rotational symmetry typical of most unicellular green algae. This asymmetry has been postulated to be the result of rotation of each half of the flagellar apparatus. Here it is shown that V. carteri axonemes contain polarity markers that are similar to those found in Chlamydomonas, except that in V. carteri the number one doublets do not face each other as they do in Chlamydomonas but are oriented in parallel and at approximately right angles to the line that connects the flagella. Thus, the rotational orientations of the axonemes are consistent with the postulate that the flagella of V. carteri have rotated in opposite directions, as was predicted earlier from the positions of the basal fibers and microtubular rootlets. Moreover, high-speed cinephotomicrographic analysis shows that the V. carteri flagellar effective strokes are also oriented in approximately the same direction, and in parallel planes. These results suggest that the direction of the effective stroke in both Chlamydomonas and Volvox is fixed, and that rotation of the axoneme is the cause of the differences in flagellar motility observed between Chlamydomonas and Volvox. These differences are probably essential for effective organismal motility. Cellular polarity of V. carteri can be related to that of Chlamydomonas after taking into account the developmental reorientation of flagellar apparatus components. This reorientation also results in the movement of the eyespot from a position nearer one of the flagellar bases to a position approximately equidistant between them. By analogy to Chlamydomonas, the anti side of the V. carteri somatic cell faces the spheroid anterior, the syn side faces the spheroid posterior. The cis side of the cell is to the cell's left (the right to an outside observer), although it cannot be described solely on the basis of eyespot position as it can in Chlamydomonas, while the trans side is to the cell's right. It follows that if the direction of the effective flagellar stroke is specified by structural features, then effective organismal motility in V. carteri, will be accomplished only if the cells are held in the proper orientation with respect to one another. The simplest arrangement that will yield both progression and rotation in ovoid or spherical colonies composed of biflagellate isokont cells is one in which the cells are arranged with rotational symmetry about the anterior-posterior axis of the spheroid. Analysis of the polarity of somatic cells from throughout the spheroid shows that it is constructed with just such symmetry. This symmetry probably originates with the very first divisions.

The inner dynein arms I2 interact with a "dynein regulatory complex" in Chlamydomonas flagella

We provide indirect evidence that six axonemal proteins here referred to as "dynein regulatory complex" (drc) are located in close proximity with the inner dynein arms I2 and I3. Subsets of drc subunits are missing from five second-site suppressors, pf2, pf3, suppf3, suppf4, and suppf5, that restore flagellar motility but not radial spoke structure of radial spoke mutants. The absence of drc components is correlated with a deficiency of all four heavy chains of inner arms I2 and I3 from axonemes of suppressors pf2, pf3, suppf3, and suppf5. Similarly, inner arm subunits actin, p28, and caltractin/centrin, or subsets of them, are deficient in pf2, pf3, and suppf5. Recombinant strains carrying one of the mutations pf2, pf3, or suppf5 and the inner arm mutation ida4 are more defective for I2 inner arm heavy chains than the parent strains. This evidence indicates that at least one subunit of the drc affects the assembly of and interacts with the inner arms I2.

The proximal portion of Chlamydomonas flagella contains a distinct set of inner dynein arms

A specific type of inner dynein arm is located primarily or exclusively in the proximal portion of Chlamydomonas flagella. This dynein is absent from flagella less than 6 microns long, is assembled during the second half of flagellar regeneration time and is resistant to extraction under conditions causing complete solubilization of two inner arm heavy chains and partial solubilization of three other heavy chains. This and other evidence described in this report suggest that the inner arm row is composed of five distinct types of dynein arms. Therefore, the units of three inner arms that repeat every 96 nm along the axoneme are composed of different dyneins in the proximal and distal portions of flagella.

Characterization of a Chlamydomonas transposon, Gulliver, resembling those in higher plants

While pursuing a chromosomal walk through the mt+ locus of linkage group VI of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, I encountered a 12-kb sequence that was found to be present in approximately 12 copies in the nuclear genome. Comparison of various C. reinhardtii laboratory strains provided evidence that the sequence was mobile and therefore a transposon. One of two separate natural isolates interfertile with C. reinhardtii, C. smithii (CC-1373), contained the transposon, but at completely different locations in its nuclear genome than C. reinhardtii; and a second, CC-1952 (S1-C5), lacked the transposon altogether. Genetic analysis indicated that the transposon was found at dispersed sites throughout the genome, but had a conserved structure at each location. Sequence homology between the termini was limited to an imperfect 15-bp inverted repeat. An 8-bp target site duplication was created by insertion; transposon sequences were completely removed upon excision leaving behind both copies of the target site duplication, with minor base changes. The transposon contained an internal region of unique repetitive sequence responsible for restriction fragment length heterogeneity among the various copies of the transposon. In several cases it was possible to identify which of the dozen transposons in a given strain served as the donor when a transposition event occurred. The transposon often moved into a site genetically linked to the donor, and transposition appeared to be nonreplicative. Thus the mechanism of transposition and excision of the transposon, which I have named Gulliver, resembles that of certain higher plant transposons, like the Ac transposon of maize.

A genetic analysis of suppressors of the PF10 mutation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

A mutation at the PF10 locus of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii leads to abnormal cell motility. The asymmetric form of the ciliary beat stroke characteristic of wild-type flagella is modified by this mutation to a nearly symmetric beat. We report here that this abnormal motility is a conditional phenotype that depends on light intensity. In the absence of light or under low light intensities, the motility is more severely impaired than at higher light intensities. By UV mutagenesis we obtained 11 intragenic and 70 extragenic strains that show reversion of the pf10 motility phenotype observed in low light. The intragenic events reverted the motility phenotype of the pf10 mutation completely. The extragenic events define at least seven suppressor loci; these map to linkage groups IV, VII, IX, XI, XII and XVII. Suppressor mutations at two of the seven loci (LIS1 and LIS2) require light for their suppressor activity. Forty-eight of the 70 extragenic suppressors were examined in heterozygous diploid cells; 47 of these mutants were recessive to the wild-type allele and one mutant (bop5-1) was dominant to the wild-type allele. Complementation analysis of the 47 recessive mutants showed unusual patterns. Most mutants within a recombinationally defined group failed to complement one another, although there were pairs that showed intra-allelic complementation. Additionally, some of the mutants at each recombinationally defined locus failed to complement mutants at other loci. They define dominant enhancers of one another.

Purification and characterization of a basal body-associated Ca2+-binding protein

Isolated basal body complexes from the unicellular alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were found to contain a low molecular mass acidic polypeptide, distinct from calmodulin, but with biochemical features in common with members of the calmodulin family of calcium-binding proteins. These common characteristics included a relative low molecular mass of 20 kD, an experimentally determined acidic pI of 5.3, an altered electrophoretic mobility in SDS-polyacrylamide gels in the presence of added calcium, and a calcium-dependent binding to the hydrophobic ligand phenyl-Sepharose which allowed its purification by affinity chromatography. The relatedness of the basal body-associated 20-kD calcium-binding protein (CaBP) to calmodulin was confirmed by amino acid compositional analysis and partial peptide sequencing of the isolated protein. A rabbit antibody specific for the 20-kD CaBP was raised and used to determine by indirect immunofluorescence the cellular localization of the protein in Chlamydomonas cells. In interphase cells the antibody stained intensely the region between the paired basal bodies, two fibers extending between the basal bodies and the underlying nucleus, and an array of longitudinal filaments surrounding the nucleus. The two basal body-nuclear connecting fibers were identified in thin-section electron micrographs to be narrow striated fiber roots. In mitotic cells the 20-kD CaBP was specifically associated with the poles of the mitotic spindle at the sites of the duplicated basal body complexes.