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[摘要]：The Basal Body (BB) acts as the template for the axoneme, the microtubule-based structure of cilia and flagella. Although several proteins were recently implicated in both centriole and BB assembly and function, their molecular mechanisms are still poorly characterized. In this issue of The EMBO journal, Li and coworkers describe for the first time the near-native structure of the BB at 33 angstrom resolution obtained by Cryo-Electron Microscopy analysis of wild-type (WT) isolated Chlamydomonas BBs. They identified several uncharacterized non-tubulin structures and variations along the length of the BB, which likely reflect the binding and function of numerous macromolecular complexes. These complexes are expected to define BB intrinsic properties, such as its characteristic structure and stability. Similarly to the high-resolution structures of ribosome and nuclear pore complexes, this study will undoubtedly contribute towards the future analysis of centriole and BB biogenesis, maintenance and function. |
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