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A Planarian Tau Tubulin Kinase Homolog Is Required For Spermatogenesis And Epithelial Ciliogenesis, Robert Alan Magley
A Planarian Tau Tubulin Kinase Homolog Is Required For Spermatogenesis And Epithelial Ciliogenesis, Robert Alan Magley
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Tubulin comprises the structural element of microtubules and Tau is one of many microtubule-associated proteins. Tau Tubulin Kinase (TTBK) phosphorylates both Tau and Tubulin and is required for the initial steps of cilia formation. Due to the structural similarities between cilia and sperm flagella, as well as the enriched expression of TTBK1 and TTBK2 in human testes, we hypothesized that TTBK homologs play a role in sperm maturation. This hypothesis was tested in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, a lophotrochozoan model capable of whole-body regeneration and development a complete reproductive system post-embryonically. Six TTBK homologs were identified in the genome of …