New Cilia Research Could Have Implications for Kidney Disease.

The size limit for proteins to enter cells' cilia is much greater than previously thought, according to a Nature Chemical Biology study. The findings could have implications for kidney health because in the kidneys, cilia monitor the flow of urine, and defects in cilia are involved in polycystic kidney disease. Cilia translate mechanical or chemical forces into molecular signals for a cell so that it can respond to its environment. Previous research suggested that a fixed pore exists at the base of a cilium that allows only small molecules inside. Figuring out how cilia select their captives is still unknown.