Sense and Respond: C iliary Dynamics in C. elegans Chemosensation
In almost eve ry cell in our body there is a kind of small antennae that detects th e chemical composition outside the cell. These antennae are also call ed cilia. The proper functioning of this cilia requires a complex tra nsport system that constantly supplies new building materials and tak es old ones back with them. In this thesis, we investigated this tran sport system in a small model organism: a transparent worm of 1 mm lo ng and the thickness of a hair. Specifically, we looked at how the ci lia and the transport system in them react when they are exposed to s ubstances and thus activated.
By looking at the transport system in the cilia, we were able to observe subtle changes. We foun d that after adding a chemical substance detected by the cilia, the t ransport system temporarily stopped, resulting in a temporary shorten ing of the cilia. This temporary shortening then caused the cilia, th e 'feelers', to become temporarily insensitive to the chemical substa nces. After the cilia returned to their original length, they were ag ain sensitive to detecting chemical substances.
More informatio n on the thesis to follow.
DESCRIPTION: Sense and Respond: Ciliary Dynamics in C. elegans Chemose nsation In almost every cell in our body there is a kind of small ant ennae that detects the chemical composition outside the cell. These a ntennae are also called cilia. The proper functioning of this cilia r equires a complex transport system that constantly supplies new build ing materials and takes old ones back with them. In this thesis, we i nvestigated this transport system in a small model organism: a transp arent 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 ch anges. We found that after adding a chemical substance detected by th e cilia, the transport system temporarily stopped, resulting in a tem porary shortening of the cilia. This temporary shortening then caused the cilia, the 'feelers', to become temporarily insensitive to the c hemical substances. After the cilia returned to their original length , they were again sensitive to detecting chemical substances.More inf ormation on the thesis to follow. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR