Figure 1

Structure of the primary cilium. The core structure of primary cilia is composed of microtubule bundles (ciliary axoneme) extending from the basal body, a microtubule-based structure derived from the mother centriole. The ciliary membrane is continuous with the plasma membrane, but contains a unique protein composition, such as channels and receptors. Thus, primary cilia can function as a sensory organelle for receiving and transducing extracellular stimuli into cells, such as fluid flow or via signaling molecules. The inset image is of ciliated murine inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD3) cells in which the basal body is labeled with a γ-tubulin antibody (red) and the primary cilium is marked by an Ift88 antibody (green).