[The role of primary cilium in signal transduction and its mechanism].

ABSTRACT

The primary cilium is a solitary and special organelle that emanates from the cell surface of most mammalian cells, which is anchored to the cell by mother centriole during the interphase and G0 of cell cycle. Recent studies have revealed that the primary cilium is a sensory organelle to receive extracellular signals and plays a key role in the signal transduction and pathogenesis of diseases. This review presents the structure and the forming process of the primary cilium during cell cycle. The signal transductions associated with primary cilium, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor αα, hedgehog, Wnt are discussed and the relevant researches in the future are proposed.