The neuronal cilium - a highly diverse and dynamic organelle involved in sensory detection and neuromodulation

Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi; Dagmar Wachten; Jay Gopalakrishnan

doi:10.1016/j.tins.2024.03.004

The neuronal cilium - a highly diverse and dynamic organelle involved in sensory detection and neuromodulation

Trends Neurosci. 2024 Apr 4:S0166-2236(24)00041-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.03.004. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi¹, Dagmar Wachten², Jay Gopalakrishnan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (IKOM), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Erling Skalgssons gate 1, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: nathalie.jurisch-yaksi@ntnu.no.
² Department of Biophysical Imaging, Institute of Innate Immunity, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
³ Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 07740 Jena, Germany.

PMID: 38580512
DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.03.004

Abstract

Cilia are fascinating organelles that act as cellular antennae, sensing the cellular environment. Cilia gained significant attention in the late 1990s after their dysfunction was linked to genetic diseases known as ciliopathies. Since then, several breakthrough discoveries have uncovered the mechanisms underlying cilia biogenesis and function. Like most cells in the animal kingdom, neurons also harbor cilia, which are enriched in neuromodulatory receptors. Yet, how neuronal cilia modulate neuronal physiology and animal behavior remains poorly understood. By comparing ciliary biology between the sensory and central nervous systems (CNS), we provide new perspectives on the functions of cilia in brain physiology.

Keywords: cilia; hair cells; neuron; olfactory; photoreceptor; signaling.

Publication types

Review