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Discriminating Between Models of Flagellar Length Control
Author(s) -
Wemmer Kimberly A.,
Feldman Jessica L.,
Marshall Wallace F.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a954-c
Subject(s) - flagellum , chlamydomonas reinhardtii , chlamydomonas , organelle , biology , kinematics , biological system , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , mutant , physics , genetics , gene , classical mechanics
A central question in cell biology is how cells determine and maintain the size of their organelles. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii flagella provide an excellent model system for studying this problem as flagellar length in Chlamydomonas is tightly and precisely controlled. It is known that the distal tips of flagella are unstable and undergoing continuous turnover, therefore the precise flagellar length must be maintained by balancing assembly and disassembly at the tip of each flagellum. Several models have been proposed to explain the mechanism responsible for this balance. We would like to test these models by examining flagellar length mutants using a combination of genetics and microscopy to test predictions derived from these models of length control.