Flagella Ca2+ elevations regulate pausing of retrograde intraflagellar transport trains in adherent Chlamydomonas flagella

Abstract

The movement of ciliary membrane proteins is directed by transient interactions with intraflagellar transport (IFT) trains. The green alga Chlamydomonas has adapted this process for gliding motility, using IFT to move adhesive glycoproteins (FMG-1B) in the flagella membrane. Although Ca2+ signalling contributes directly to the gliding process, uncertainty remains over the mechanisms through which Ca2+ acts to influence the movement of IFT trains. Here we show that flagella Ca2+ elevations regulate IFT primarily by initiating the movement of paused retrograde IFT trains. Flagella Ca2+ elevations exhibit complex spatial and temporal properties, including high frequency repetitive Ca2+ elevations that prevent the accumulation of paused retrograde IFT trains. We show that flagella Ca2+ elevations disrupt the IFT-dependent movement of microspheres along the flagella membrane. The results suggest that flagella Ca2+ elevations directly disrupt the interaction between retrograde IFT particles and flagella membrane glycoproteins to modulate gliding motility and the adhesion of the flagellum to a surface.