Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components
The single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with its two flagella—microtubule-based structures of equal and constant lengths—is the canonical model organism for studying size control of organelles. Experiments have identified motor-driven transport of tubulin to the flagella tips as a ke...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2019-10-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/42599 |
| _version_ | 1828380036877516800 |
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| author | Thomas G Fai Lishibanya Mohapatra Prathitha Kar Jane Kondev Ariel Amir |
| author_facet | Thomas G Fai Lishibanya Mohapatra Prathitha Kar Jane Kondev Ariel Amir |
| author_sort | Thomas G Fai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with its two flagella—microtubule-based structures of equal and constant lengths—is the canonical model organism for studying size control of organelles. Experiments have identified motor-driven transport of tubulin to the flagella tips as a key component of their length control. Here we consider a class of models whose key assumption is that proteins responsible for the intraflagellar transport (IFT) of tubulin are present in limiting amounts. We show that the limiting-pool assumption is insufficient to describe the results of severing experiments, in which a flagellum is regenerated after it has been severed. Next, we consider an extension of the limiting-pool model that incorporates proteins that depolymerize microtubules. We show that this ‘active disassembly’ model of flagellar length control explains in quantitative detail the results of severing experiments and use it to make predictions that can be tested in experiments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:51:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e718dc08a5a4ec3bcd35391a835c89d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T03:51:18Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e718dc08a5a4ec3bcd35391a835c89d2022-12-22T02:03:16ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2019-10-01810.7554/eLife.42599Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of componentsThomas G Fai0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0383-5217Lishibanya Mohapatra1Prathitha Kar2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4091-6860Jane Kondev3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7522-7144Ariel Amir4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2611-0139Department of Mathematics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United StatesPaulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Brandeis University, Waltham, United StatesPaulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, United StatesThe single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with its two flagella—microtubule-based structures of equal and constant lengths—is the canonical model organism for studying size control of organelles. Experiments have identified motor-driven transport of tubulin to the flagella tips as a key component of their length control. Here we consider a class of models whose key assumption is that proteins responsible for the intraflagellar transport (IFT) of tubulin are present in limiting amounts. We show that the limiting-pool assumption is insufficient to describe the results of severing experiments, in which a flagellum is regenerated after it has been severed. Next, we consider an extension of the limiting-pool model that incorporates proteins that depolymerize microtubules. We show that this ‘active disassembly’ model of flagellar length control explains in quantitative detail the results of severing experiments and use it to make predictions that can be tested in experiments.https://elifesciences.org/articles/42599length controlflagelladiffusiondepolymerizationmolecular motors |
| spellingShingle | Thomas G Fai Lishibanya Mohapatra Prathitha Kar Jane Kondev Ariel Amir Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components eLife length control flagella diffusion depolymerization molecular motors |
| title | Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components |
| title_full | Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components |
| title_fullStr | Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components |
| title_full_unstemmed | Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components |
| title_short | Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components |
| title_sort | length regulation of multiple flagella that self assemble from a shared pool of components |
| topic | length control flagella diffusion depolymerization molecular motors |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/42599 |
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