Cilia and Flagella: Structure, Function and Beyond

Dear Colleagues,

Cilia and flagella are antenna-like protrusions present on many types of eukaryotic cells. Consequently, they have evolved to perform diverse functions, such as locomotion, mucus clearance, fluid circulation, chemosensation, and mechanosensation. It is now known that defects in cilia and flagella assembly or function give rise to a wide spectrum of human diseases including infertility, loss of vision, kidney cysts, respiratory defects, skeletal anomalies, and neurological disorders. In spite of functional differences, cilia and flagella are remarkably similar in terms of molecular composition and structure, consisting of stabilized microtubules arranged in a nine-fold radial symmetry. Cilia and flagella were originally discovered centuries ago, yet many aspects regarding their structure and function are just beginning to emerge, thanks in part to breakthrough technologies, such as super-resolution microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, and BioID. This Topical Collection focuses on current advances in the biology of cilia and flagella. We welcome contributions that include, but are not limited to, structural and functional studies of cilia/flagella, different cilia/flagella model systems, mechanisms of cilia/flagella assembly, maintenance, and disassembly, mechanisms of cilia/flagella-mediated sensing mechanisms and signal transduction, link between cilia/flagella and the cell cycle or other relevant cell physiological processes implicated in disease. Submitted articles will be peer reviewed in accordance with the journal’s policy. The Collection Editors declare no competing interests.

Dr. William Tsang
Dr. Gang Dong
Collection Editors

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