Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is essential for the elongation and maintenance of eukaryotic cilia and flagella. Due to the traffic jam of multiple trains at the ciliary tip, how IFT trains are remodeled in these turnaround zones cannot be determined by conventional imaging. Using PhotoGate, we visualized the full range of movement of single IFT trains and motors in Chlamydomonas flagella. Anterograde trains split apart and IFT complexes mix with each other at the tip to assemble retrograde trains. Dynein-1b is carried to the tip by kinesin-II as inactive cargo on anterograde trains. Unlike dynein-1b, kinesin-II detaches from IFT trains at the tip and diffuses in flagella. As the flagellum grows longer, diffusion delays return of kinesin-II to the basal body, depleting kinesin-II available for anterograde transport. Our results suggest that dissociation of kinesin-II from IFT trains serves as a negative feedback mechanism that facilitates flagellar length control in Chlamydomonas.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a motor protein that walks along microtubules (MTs) and performs mechanical work to power a variety of cellular processes. It remains unclear how a dynein dimer is able to transport cargos against load without coordinating the stepping cycles of its two heads. Here, by using a DNA-tethered optical trapping geometry, we find that the force-generating step of a head occurs in the MT-bound state, while the ‘primed’ unbound state is highly diffusional and only weakly biased to step towards the MT minus end. The stall forces of the individual heads are additive, with both heads contributing equally to the maximal force production of the dimer. Based on these results, we propose that the heads of dynein utilize a ‘load-sharing’ mechanism, unlike kinesin and myosin. This mechanism may allow dynein to work against hindering forces larger than the maximal force produced by a single head.

No abstract

The actin cytoskeleton of rabbit proximal tubules was assessed by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) binding, sedimentability of detergent-insoluble actin, laser-scanning confocal microscopy, and ultrastructure during exposure to hypoxia, antimycin, or antimycin plus ionomycin. One-third of total actin was DNase reactive in control cells prior to deliberate depolymerization, and a similar proportion was unsedimentable from detergent lysates during 2.5 h at 100,000 g. Tubules injured by hypoxia or antimycin alone, without glycine, showed Ca(2+)-dependent pathology of the cytoskeleton, consisting of increases in DNase-reactive actin, redistribution of pelletable actin, and loss of microvilli concurrent with lethal membrane damage. In contrast, tubules similarly depleted of ATP and incubated with glycine showed no significant changes of DNase-reactive actin or actin sedimentability for up to 60 min, but, nevertheless, developed substantial loss of basal membrane-associated actin within 15 min and disruption of actin cores and clubbing of microvilli at durations > 30 min. These structural changes that occurred in the presence of glycine were not prevented by limiting Ca2+ availability or pH 6.9. Very rapid and extensive cytoskeletal disruption followed antimycin-plus-ionomycin treatment. In this setting, glycine and pH 6.9 decreased lethal membrane damage but did not ameliorate pathology in the cytoskeleton or microvilli; limiting Ca2+ availability partially protected the cytoskeleton but did not prevent lethal membrane damage. The data suggest that both ATP depletion-dependent but Ca(2+)-independent, as well as Ca(2+)-mediated, processes can disrupt the actin cytoskeleton during acute proximal tubule cell injury; that both types of change occur, despite protection afforded by glycine and reduced pH against lethal membrane damage; and that Ca(2+)-independent processes primarily account for prelethal actin cytoskeletal alterations during simple ATP depletion of proximal tubule cells.

Focal radial styloid abnormality is an indicator of de Quervain stenosing tenosynovitis of the wrist.