Biology subjects

Daar, I. O.

Publications and source records attributed to Daar, I. O..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

BSG.S regulates ionocyte radial intercalation and function in the developing Xenopus mucociliary epithelium.

Mucociliary epithelia (MCE) line multiple vertebrate organs, including the mammalian airways, and rely on coordinated interactions among specialized cell types to clear pathogens and maintain epithelial homeostasis. Proper MCE function requires the appropriate specification and spatial organization of ionocytes, multiciliated cells, secretory cells, and basal cells. Ionocytes regulate ion transport and pH homeostasis, yet the mechanisms governing their integration and function within the developing epithelium remain incompletely understood. Basigin (BSG), also known as CD147 or EMMPRIN, is a conserved transmembrane glycoprotein implicated in cell migration, adhesion, and signaling. However, its role in mucociliary epithelial development remains unclear. Here, we show that the short isoform of BSG (BSG.S) is expressed in ionocytes of the Xenopus laevis MCE. Our findings demonstrate that BSG.S depletion impairs ionocyte radial intercalation, alters intracellular pH, and disrupts epithelial organization. Furthermore, BSG.S loss alters epithelial cell-type composition, decreasing the number of basal cells and increasing the number of multiciliated cells. These findings suggest BSG.S as a regulator of ionocyte integration, epithelial organization, and cell-type composition during mucociliary epithelial development.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

The Dishevelled C-terminus interacts with the centrosomal protein Kizuna to regulate microtubule organization during ciliogenesis.

Microtubules (MTs) serve as dynamic scaffolds that support diverse cellular processes, including cell division, intracellular transport, and epithelial morphogenesis. In ciliated cells, MTs not only form the axonemal backbone of cilia but also work in tandem with actin to build an apical meshwork that anchors and orients basal bodies. However, the mechanisms regulating apical MT organization during ciliogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the centrosomal protein Kizuna (Kiz) as a critical regulator of apical MT architecture. Kiz interacts with the C-terminus of Dishevelled 2 (Dvl-C), inducing an open conformation and enabling the recruitment of Protein Kinase C delta (PKC{delta}) to stabilize the apical MT meshwork. This Dvl2-Kiz-PKC{delta} signaling axis is essential for ciliogenesis across multiple contexts, including the formation of primary cilia in the eye, multicilia in the mucociliary epidermis (MCE), and mono-motile cilia in the left-right organizer, the gastrocoel roof plate (GRP). These findings reveal a conserved molecular mechanism linking Dvl2 conformational dynamics to MT organization and highlight Kizuna as a key mediator coupling non-canonical Wnt signaling to ciliogenesis, left-right patterning, and the organization of the apical actin microtubule meshwork in ciliated cells of embryos.

developmental biology↗