Open AccessAhi1 promotes Arl13b ciliary recruitment, regulates Arl13b stability and is required for normal cell migration
Author(s) -
Jesús Muñoz-Estrada,
Russell J. Ferland
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of cell science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.384
H-Index - 278
eISSN - 1477-9137
pISSN - 0021-9533
DOI - 10.1242/jcs.230680
Subject(s) - biology , cilium , ciliopathy , microbiology and biotechnology , axoneme , motility , membrane protein , phenotype , genetics , flagellum , gene , membrane
Mutations in the Abelson-helper integration site 1 (AHI1) gene are associated with neurological/neuropsychiatric disorders, and cause the neurodevelopmental ciliopathy, Joubert syndrome (JBTS). Here, we show that deletion of the transition zone (TZ) protein, Ahi1, in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), has a small effect on cilia formation. However, Ahi1 loss in these cells results in 1) reduced localization of the JBTS-associated protein, Arl13b, to the ciliary membrane, 2) decreased sonic hedgehog signaling, 3) and an abnormally elongated ciliary axoneme accompanied by an increase in ciliary IFT88 concentrations. While no changes in Arl13b levels are detected in crude cell membrane extracts, loss of Ahi1 significantly reduced non-membrane-associated Arl13b and its stability via the proteasome pathway. Exogenous expression of Ahi1-GFP in Ahi1−/− MEFs restored ciliary length, increased ciliary recruitment of Arl13b, and augmented Arl13b stability. Lastly, Ahi1−/− MEFs displayed defects in cell motility and Pdgfr-α-dependent migration. Overall, our findings support molecular mechanisms underlying JBTS etiology that involve 1) disruptions at the TZ resulting in defects of membrane- and non-membrane-associated proteins to localize to primary cilia and 2) defective cell migration.