About this Research Topic
The functional importance of cilia and flagella is revealed by the highly conserved nature of these organelles coupled with the ever-expanding list of human diseases rooted in ciliary dysfunction (the ciliopathies). Cilia and flagella are ubiquitous, being found on most cell types in the human body. Thus, defects in cilia and flagella assembly or function manifest with an impressive diversity of pathologies and an often-complex genetic etiology.
The importance of cilia and flagella for normal cell function across the evolutionary spectrum demands a precise understanding of cilia and flagella biology. The use of model organisms, which relies on a high degree of molecular and structural conservation of cilia and flagella, has been pivotal in expanding our understanding of cilia and flagella organelles. For example, pioneering studies in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, first established the link between cilia and several ciliopathies. This example highlights the paramount importance of model organisms for the study of fundamental biological processes, for which a better understanding will have direct implications for human health. In addition, protists like Paramecium, Tetrahymena, Trypanosomes, and Leishmania, along with multicellular model organisms, such as planaria, zebrafish, Xenopus, C. elegans, Drosophila, and mouse, each offer specific experimental advantages for the study of cilia and flagella. Collectively, these model organisms offer an impressively stocked genetic and molecular toolbox that establishes ciliates as ideal systems for cilia and flagella research.
The editors welcome various article types (including Original Research, Brief Research Reports, Methods, Perspectives, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews) that highlight the specific strengths and weaknesses of the main model organisms for studying the molecular composition, assembly, sensory, and motile functions of cilia and flagella. Studies of ciliopathies and the roles of cilia in cancer using model organisms are also welcome.
More information on article types accepted by the journal can be found here.
Keywords: cilia, flagella, organelle, model organisms, ciliopathies
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