CSB Seminar Series – Naohiro Kato, PhD – Louisiana State University

CSB Departmental Seminar

Naohiro Kato, PhD

Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University

TITLE:

Ammonium Chemotaxis in Chlamydomonas: Mechanistic Insights into Ciliary Beat Pattern Modulation and Evolutionary Implications

ABSTRACT:

Motile cilia are tubular organelles that extend from the surface of specific eukaryotic cells, playing crucial roles in cell and surface material motility. These cilia exhibit distinct beat patterns or waveforms, which can alter shape, frequency, and amplitude in response to external stimuli. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a biflagellate green alga, is a model organism for studying eukaryotic cilia. Research in Chlamydomonas has uncovered the detailed ultrastructure of cilia and established a fundamental functional principle.

Our research focuses on chemotaxis, the directed movement of Chlamydomonas in response to chemical gradients. By examining the changes in ciliary beat patterns under chemical gradients, we aim to uncover mechanistic insights into cilia function. This approach also highlights the evolutionary principles governing cilia function and control across diverse life forms. This seminar will present our latest findings on the alterations in ciliary beat patterns and the underlying signaling pathways involved in ammonium-driven chemotaxis. Additionally, we will discuss the evolutionary implications of these findings, particularly regarding cellular locomotion, signal transduction, and receptor protein structure.

HOST: Keiko Yoshioka

LOCATION: Cell and Systems Biology, 25 Harbord Street, Suite 432

LIVESTREAM LINK: https://csb.utoronto.ca/live-stream/