Sense and Respond: Ciliary Dynamics in C. elegans Chemosensation
In almost every cell in our body there is a kind of small antennae that detects the chemical composition outside the cell. These antennae are also called cilia. The proper functioning of this cilia requires a complex transport system that constantly supplies new building materials and takes old ones back with them. In this thesis, we investigated this transport system in a small model organism: a transparent worm of 1 mm long and the thickness of a hair. Specifically, we looked at how the cilia and the transport system in them react when they are exposed to substances and thus activated.
By looking at the transport system in the cilia, we were able to observe subtle changes. We found that after adding a chemical substance detected by the cilia, the transport system temporarily stopped, resulting in a temporary shortening of the cilia. This temporary shortening then caused the cilia, the 'feelers', to become temporarily insensitive to the chemical substances. After the cilia returned to their original length, they were again sensitive to detecting chemical substances.
More information on the thesis to follow.