The primary cilia of secretory cells in the human oviduct mucosa

Abstract

The human oviduct is lined with a simple columnar epithelium composed of ciliated cells and secretory cells. Primary cilia or solitary cilia usually extend from the apical surface of the secretory cells. The axoneme of the primary cilia is composed of nine peripheral microtubule doublets (9 + 0 pattern) that lack dynein arms and nexin links. Displacement of peripheral doublets to the central region, which is suggested to be attributable to the lack of nexin links, is one of the distinctive features of oviductal primary cilia. The basal body that extends the primary cilium connects to its paired centriole by the striated connector. The basal body is associated with the accessory structures, such as alar sheets, basal feet, and striated rootlets. Several basal feet project laterally from the basal body. The cap of the basal foot serves as the microtubule organizing center. Several striated rootlets radiate from the basal body toward the nucleus. The basal body, the paired centriole, and the basal body-associated structures are considered to play important roles in the stabilization and fixing of the cilium in the proper position on the apical cell surface.

Tubal transport of gametes and embryos: a review of physiology and pathophysiology

“…It is noteworthy that the 9+2 arrangement in ciliated epithelial cells is in contrast with the 9+0 arrangement of the single primary cilium that may be observed on the apical surface of secretory cells. These primary immotile cilia do not have dynein arms or nexin links and lack the central two single microtubules [24][25][26][27].…”

The perennial organelle: assembly and disassembly of the primary cilium

“…conductance; and the mucinous cells that form the glandular elements near the neck of the gall bladder are all ciliated and, at the same time, capable of high-output secretion (Hagiwara et al, 2002;Zhang et al, 2005;Cano et al, 2004;Hagiwara et al, 2008) (E.S.S., unpublished observations). As these secretory cell types have larger areas of lumen-facing plasma membrane than do pancreatic acinar cells or hepatocytes, they might be able to separate the sites of exocytosis from the area surrounding the base of the cilium.…”

Mucosal Dendritic Cells

“…Thus, these DCs may be capable of uptake of immune complexes through these FcR for presentation to T cells on migration into the local LNs. CD1a + LCs were also detected in the oviduct epithelium (Hagiwara et al, 1998). In rhesus macaques, CD1a + cells are also present in the stratified squamous epithelium of the vagina and ectocervix (Miller et al, 1992).…”

“…As a typical feature of LCs, these cells contain racquet-shaped vesicles known as Birbeck granules (Flores-Langarica et al, 2005;Valladeau et al, 2000). Further, a CD1a + population of DCs is present in lower frequencies restricted to the epithelium (Hagiwara et al, 1998;Hladik et al, 2007;Jimenez-Flores et al, 2006;Pudney et al, 2005). These cells express a chemokine receptor, CCR5, which is the coreceptor for R5-tropic HIV-1 (Hladik et al, 1999;Prakash et al, 2004).…”