How cells regulate the length of cilia and flagella

Philippe Rene A Bastin, D Phil

INSERM Director or Research (DR2)

Head of the Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit

Trypanosome Cell Biology

Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201

Paris, France

philippe.bastin@pasteur.fr

Education

1989-1993 Ph.D. University of Louvain, Belgium

2005 HDR Paris Descartes University

Research

Cilia and flagella are sophisticated eukaryotic organelles involved in multiple functions. They share a common architecture and are constructed by an active process called intraflagellar transport. Their length can vary from 1 µm to more than 100 µm but appears tightly controlled for a given cell type. Here we investigated the mechanisms that govern flagellum length in Trypanosoma brucei. This protist is well known for being responsible for sleeping sickness in Africa and displays a different flagellum length according to its stage of development. We show that at least three distinct mechanisms are involved to tune flagellum length and that these could be adapted by the parasite to produce short or long flagella.

Host: Dr. Guangshuo Ou

Date: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Nov 21st (Tuesday)

Venue: Room 143, New Biology Building (新馆143)