This article utilizes antibody-based spatial proteomics and 3D confocal imaging to map the locations of 715 proteins within human primary cilia across three different cell lines, creating a spatial cilia atlas. Key findings highlight the extensive heterogeneity of the ciliary proteome, noting that 69% of identified proteins are cell-type specific and 78% show variation across individual cilia, suggesting that cilia function as adaptable sensors. The research identifies 91 novel ciliary proteins, proposes CREB3 as a ciliopathy candidate gene associated with a complex syndromic presentation, and suggests that the cilium is a signaling and metabolic hub with functionally specialized microdomains. Additionally, the study introduces CFAP300 as a stable, cross-tissue primary cilia marker.

References:

• Hansen, Jan N., et al. "Intrinsic heterogeneity of primary cilia revealed through spatial proteomics." Cell (2024).