{
  "id": 10711431,
  "title": "Novel protein networks in motile cilia from human epithelial cells revealed by cryo-ET and proteomics analysis of cilia from PCD patients",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/novel-protein-networks-in-motile-cilia-from-human-epithelial-cells",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-29T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755144v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study has uncovered novel protein networks within motile cilia of human epithelial cells, revealing intricate mechanisms of ciliogenesis that differ from those observed in unicellular organisms. The research, conducted on patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), utilized cryo-electron tomography and proteomics analysis to examine the impact of gene defects on ciliary components.\n\nThe investigation found that defects in various genes, particularly those affecting the outer dynein arm, led to the loss or significant reduction of other inner and outer arm dyneins. Surprisingly, some patients with outer dynein defects exhibited decreased levels of intraflagellar transport (IFT) proteins, indicating a potential relationship between cargo components and the assembly process. Notably, these findings were not replicated in the green alga Chlamydomonas, suggesting that human ciliogenesis involves a more complex set of molecular interactions than previously understood.\n\nFurthermore, the study discovered that defects in certain central pair proteins also caused a reduction in components located on doublet microtubules. These findings underscore the significance of protein-protein interactions during the stages of human motile ciliogenesis, highlighting a level of complexity that surpasses the mechanisms observed in simple unicellular organisms.",
  "summary": "In our past study on human cilia from primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) patients using cryo-electron tomography and mass spectrometry, defects in the DNAH5 gene were proven to cause the loss of the entire outer dynein arm along with other proteins. This phenomenon was not observed in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas. In this study, we examined the loss of ciliary components caused by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}