Fibroblasts initiate ciliogenesis inside the cell, but polarized epithelial cells form a primary cilium at the apical cell surface through a mechanism that is largely uncharacterized. Bernabé-Rubio et al. reveal that, in polarized MDCK cells, a remnant of the cytokinetic midbody moves to the center of the apical surface, where it encounters the centrosome and enables cilium formation.
Download our Journal Club pack to aid your discussion of Bernabé-Rubio et al.’s study and its implications for ciliogenesis in polarized epithelial cells. The pack includes a complete pdf of the paper, a PowerPoint file of Bernabé-Rubio et al.’s figures, supplemental videos, and the latest biosights video podcast, which features an interview with the paper’s senior author, Miguel Alonso (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain).