The GTPase IFT27 is involved in both anterograde and retrograde intraflagellar transport.

Diego Huet (1, 2) , Thierry Blisnick (2) , Sylvie Perrot (2) , Philippe Bastin (2)

1 Cellule Pasteur UPMC
2 Biologie cellulaire des Trypanosomes - Trypanosome Cell Biology

The construction of cilia and flagella depends on intraflagellar transport (IFT), the bidirectional movement of two protein complexes (IFT-A and IFT-B) driven by specific kinesin and dynein motors. IFT-B and kinesin are associated to anterograde transport whereas IFT-A and dynein participate to retrograde transport. Surprisingly, the small GTPase IFT27, a member of the IFT-B complex, turns out to be essential for retrograde cargo transport in Trypanosoma brucei. We reveal that this is due to failure to import both the IFT-A complex and the IFT dynein into the flagellar compartment. To get further molecular insight about the role of IFT27, GDP- or GTP-locked versions were expressed in presence or absence of endogenous IFT27. The GDP-locked version is unable to enter the flagellum and to interact with other IFT-B proteins and its sole expression prevents flagellum formation. These findings demonstrate that a GTPase-competent IFT27 is required for association to the IFT complex and that IFT27 plays a role in the cargo loading of the retrograde transport machinery.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02419.001.

Keywords: intraflagellar transport; small GTPase; flagellum; Trypanosoma brucei

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology

Diego Huet, Thierry Blisnick, Sylvie Perrot, Philippe Bastin. The GTPase IFT27 is involved in both anterograde and retrograde intraflagellar transport.. eLife, 2014, 3, pp.e02419. ⟨10.7554/eLife.02419⟩. ⟨pasteur-01301212⟩