Tppp3 determines basal body positioning and identity of respiratory cilia via microtubule assembly and sphingolipid homeostasis

T Takafumi Sakai (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) M Masahiro Kawakita (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) A Arashi Seki (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) K Katsuyoshi Takaoka (Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University) M Misaki Kurata (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) J Junpei Torikai (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) S Sohshiroh Atsumi (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) K Kanji Yawata (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) K Kentaro Noi (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) Y Yosuke Fukutani K Keiichi Noguchi (Instrumentation Analysis Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan) H Hirofumi Kiyokawa (Laboratory for Lung Development and Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) M Mitsuru Morimoto (Laboratory for Lung Development and Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research) E Eri Takeuchi (Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry) K Katsura Minegishi (Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry) Y Yoshitsugu Aoki (Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry) S Shoko Fujimura (Department of Physics, Gakushuin University) T Takayuki Nishizaka (Department of Physics, Gakushuin University) T Takanari Inoue (Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) K Kentaro Nagaoka (Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) H Hiroshi Tsugawa (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) H Hisayoshi Hayashi (School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka) H Hiroshi Ishiguro (Department of Human Nutrition, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine) T Takuma Kozono (Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology) I Ikuroh Ohsawa (Research Teams for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology) Y Yasunori Fujita (Research Teams for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology) H Hiroaki Matsunami H Hiroshi Hamada (Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University) K Kyosuke Shinohara (Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)

Abstract

Cilia are hair-like organelles that protrude from the cell surface. In mammals, tracheal multiciliated cells (MCCs) play an important role in elimination of hazardous microorganisms by driving a unidirectional mucus flow. Although uniform orientation of ciliary beating is critical for the unidirectional flow, it remains unknown how MCCs establish uniform orientations and maintain identities of hundreds of ciliary membranes. This study focuses on investigating the roles of Tubulin Polymerization Promoting Family Member 3 (Tppp3) in MCC function. We generated a Tppp3-deficient mouse ( Tppp3 ∆ex2-4/∆ex2-4 ; Tppp3 knockout (KO)) and found that the Tppp3 KO mouse exhibited cough and hyposmia phenotype. The loss of Tppp3 disrupted the apical microtubules (MTs) meshwork in the tracheal MCCs, leading to random orientation and alignment of basal bodies (BBs) of the motile cilia. Unexpectedly, aberrant ciliary membrane fusions occurred in the trachea of the Tppp3 KO mice. We examined the underlying molecular mechanism of the ciliary membrane fusion by isolating the tracheal cilium. Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis as well as pharmacological analysis revealed that hyperaccumulation of a long chain ceramide at the ciliary membrane caused the membrane fusion. In addition, sensory cilia formation was impaired in the olfactory sensory neuron of the Tppp3 KO mice. Due to the lack of Tppp3, dendritic MT assembly that underlies long-range migration of BBs toward the cell surface was impaired. These findings demonstrate that Tppp3, as well as the defined intracellular MT architecture, regulate proper orientation/subcellular positioning of BBs and the independency of individual motile cilium membranes.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 122, Issue 49
Published December 09, 2025
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (29)

T

Takafumi Sakai

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

M

Masahiro Kawakita

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

A

Arashi Seki

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

K

Katsuyoshi Takaoka

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

M

Misaki Kurata

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

J

Junpei Torikai

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

S

Sohshiroh Atsumi

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

K

Kanji Yawata

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

K

Kentaro Noi

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

Y

Yosuke Fukutani

K

Keiichi Noguchi

Instrumentation Analysis Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan

H

Hirofumi Kiyokawa

Laboratory for Lung Development and Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research

M

Mitsuru Morimoto

Laboratory for Lung Development and Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research

E

Eri Takeuchi

Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

K

Katsura Minegishi

Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

Y

Yoshitsugu Aoki

Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

S

Shoko Fujimura

Department of Physics, Gakushuin University

T

Takayuki Nishizaka

Department of Physics, Gakushuin University

T

Takanari Inoue

Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

K

Kentaro Nagaoka

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

H

Hiroshi Tsugawa

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

H

Hisayoshi Hayashi

School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka

H

Hiroshi Ishiguro

Department of Human Nutrition, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

T

Takuma Kozono

Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

I

Ikuroh Ohsawa

Research Teams for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology

Y

Yasunori Fujita

Research Teams for Mechanism of Aging, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology

H

Hiroaki Matsunami

H

Hiroshi Hamada

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University

K

Kyosuke Shinohara

Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology