NPHP proteins: Gatekeepers of the ciliary compartment

Abstract

The cilia and the cytoplasm are separated by a region called the transition zone, where wedge-shaped structures link the microtubule doublets of the axoneme to the ciliary membrane, thereby forming a ciliary "gate." In this issue, Craige et al. (J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201006105) demonstrate in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that Nphp6/cep290, which is mutated in nephronophthisis (NPHP), is an integral component of these connectors and maintains the structural integrity of this gate. © 2010 Omran.