PRIMARY CILIA IN CULTURED-MAMMALIAN-CELLS - DETECTION WITH AN ANTIBODY AGAINST DETYROSINATED ALPHA-TUBULIN (ID5) AND BY ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

A fluorescent-labelled antibody against detyrosinated alpha-tubulin, I D5 (Wehland and Weber, 1987), allows primary cilia and centrioles to b e detected rapidly and accurately for analysis in cell cultures. Many features of primary cilia have been re-examined, including frequency o f expression in relation to levels of confluency, different sera, diff erent cell cycle stages, and following trypsinization and centrifugati on procedures. The detection of multiple ciliation per cell, and the p recise positioning of cilia in cells in monolayers are readily recorde d. The findings are discussed in relation to cilium expression in cell growth and cycling, to previous findings based on ultrastructural ana lysis, and to their potential role in sensing the local environment.