This release contains only the music track from Base by Base Episode 306.

Song title: The Thread That Holds the Light
Original Base by Base episode: 306: SAXO6 loss-of-function in photoreceptor cilia links a microtubule inner protein to late-onset retinal dystrophy
Original episode link: https://basebybase.com/episodes/saxo6-photoreceptor-mip-retina

Article metadata:
Article title: Loss-of-function variants in SAXO6, encoding a microtubule inner protein of photoreceptor cilia, cause a late-onset retinal dystrophy
Journal: The American Journal of Human Genetics
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2026.02.001
Reference: Moye AR, McCafferty CL, Lin S, Han JH, Dudakova L, Rodenburg K, Szabó V, Nagy ZZ, Zur D, Vajter M, Kousal B, Moulin AP, Graff-Meyer A, Roosing S, Mahroo OA, Arno G, Webster AR, Ben-Yosef T, Liskova P, Engel BD, Zobor D, Quinodoz M, Rivolta C. Loss-of-function variants in SAXO6, encoding a microtubule inner protein of photoreceptor cilia, cause a late-onset retinal dystrophy. The American Journal of Human Genetics. 2026 Mar 5;113:1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2026.02.001

Lyrics:
Verse 1
In the dark of the retinal night we map thin filaments of light
Hollow tubes aligned, a scaffold carrying the sight
Within the cilium's lumen a quiet keeper holds the line

Pre-Chorus
Six families whispered a pattern, a late-falling shade revealed
High-resolution maps and gold beads mark where the bonds are sealed
Small cohort, clear signal — a fragile brace in the field

Chorus
There is a thread that holds the light, a hidden inner seam
SAXO6 clasps the microtubule, anchoring every beam
Mn motifs reach and bind alpha-tubulin, keeping axonemes aligned
When that clasp gives way the world grows dim — now we know where to find

Verse 2
Expansion images spread the scene, revealing patterned rows
Cross-links at precise addresses, a bond beneath the glow
A tiny brace for long, thin rails, stabilizing what we know

Bridge
Not a sudden crash but a patient loosening over years
A late-onset hush where signals thin, a slow unthreading of gears
Knowing the shape of the break hands us maps to reappear

Final Chorus
Find the threaded keeper of the light, hold the fragile spine
SAXO6, the inner filament, a quiet guardian of the line
This map may guide the search, a beacon in clinical night
From nanogold to shared hope — we follow the filament back to light