Use of Ciliogenesis to Detect Aneugens: The Role of Primary Cilia

Abstract

Primary cilia arise from the centrosomes of quiescent or post-mitotic cells, and serve as sensory organelles that communicate mechanical and chemical stimuli from the environment to the interior of the cell. Cilium formation may, therefore, become a useful end point signaling exposure to genotoxins or aneugens. Here we have used the aneugen, zidovudine (AZT), an antiretroviral drug that induces DNA replication arrest and centrosomal amplification (>2 centrosomes per quiescent cell), to evaluate cilia formation in retinal epithelial (RPE) cells. Since cilia are derived from centrosomes, and aneugens may induce centrosomal amplification, the production of multiple cilia arising from multiple centrosomes may reveal the aneugenic nature of the agents. Cells were exposed to AZT, to induce centrosomal amplification, cultured without serum to allow the centrioles to develop cilia, and immunostained to visualize cilia and centrosomes. Nuclear DNA was stained with DAPI. Preliminary observations suggest that cells with multiple centrosomes are able to generate extranumerarycilia.

Transplacental Carcinogenesis Induced by Antiretrovirals, Twelve Years Later

“…Today, a much more intricate landscape offers a deeper understanding of the extent of toxicities induced by ART. Some of them: aneuploidy (Andre‐Schmutz et al ), chromosomal instability (Borojerdi et al ), centrosomal amplification (Borojerdi et al ; Yu et al ), reactive oxygen species production (Bialkowska et al ; Smith et al ), nuclear budding (Dutra et al ), abnormal ciliogenesis (Divi et al ), modulation of micro RNAs (Crespo‐Mejias et al ), among other effects.…”