A high-resolution spatial map of cilia-associated proteins based on characterization of the human fallopian tube-specific proteome

Abstract

Molecular changes in the fallopian tubes (FT) play a crucial role in the development of cancer and reproductive disorders. Here, we aimed to map key FT proteins on the single-cell level utilizing an integrated transcriptomics and proteomics approach. Based on RNA-seq, 315 genes were identified as elevated in FT, out of which a majority were associated with motile cilia function. An in-depth spatial characterization was performed for 130 of these genes in FT and other human tissues with motile cilia, localizing the proteins to different subcellular structures of ciliated cells. The specificity for ciliated cells was validated with single-cell RNA-seq and in-situ mass-spectrometry data. Our approach enabled us to identify 34 novel cilia-related proteins lacking previous evidence on the protein level, as well as several other proteins not described in the context of cilia biology. The high-resolution spatial map aids in further disentangling pathways involved in infertility and diseases linked to cilia-specific functions.