Phosphorylation at the Helm: Kinase-Mediated Regulation of Primary Cilia Assembly and Disassembly.

The primary cilium serves as an antenna of most vertebrate cells and is important for conveying cues from several signaling pathways into appropriate cellular responses during development and homeostasis. Cilia assembly and disassembly processes are thought to be strictly controlled; however, the precise nature of molecular events underlying this control still awaits full resolution. Through their enzymatic activity, kinases function as flexible yet highly controllable regulators of a vast variety of cellular processes.

Tau-tubulin kinase 2 restrains microtubule-depolymerizer KIF2A to support primary cilia growth.

Background: Primary cilia facilitate cellular signalling and play critical roles in development, homeostasis, and disease. Their assembly is under the control of Tau-Tubulin Kinase 2 (TTBK2), a key enzyme mutated in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia. Recent work has implicated TTBK2 in the regulation of cilia maintenance and function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not understood.