Mapping the proteins inside cilia, the tiny antennae on cells
Defining the ciliary proteomes in vivo
This project maps which proteins live in cilia—tiny antenna-like parts of cells—to help people affected by ciliopathies such as some inherited blindness, cystic kidney disease, anosmia, or obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11330532 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a special protein-tagging method in mice to label and capture proteins that sit in or near cilia across many tissues. The tagged proteins will be identified to create detailed lists (proteomes) of what cilia contain in different cell types and conditions. By comparing these lists, the team hopes to see how cilia differ across tissues and how those differences relate to disease. The project aims to build a public resource that others can use to connect specific ciliary proteins to human ciliopathy symptoms.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Although the experiments are done in mice, the findings will be most relevant to people with inherited or suspected ciliopathies (for example certain forms of blindness, polycystic kidney disease, anosmia, hydrocephalus, or obesity linked to cilia genes).
Not a fit: Patients with conditions unrelated to cilia or those needing immediate clinical therapies are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic science project in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal specific ciliary proteins and pathways that become targets for future diagnostics or treatments for ciliopathies.
How similar studies have performed: Proximity-labeling methods like BioID have successfully mapped protein neighborhoods in cells before, but applying this approach to map ciliary proteomes across tissues in live animals is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yoder, Bradley K. — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Yoder, Bradley K.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.