Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Ciliary Motility in Respiratory Health

Dear Colleagues,

Motile cilia are the engine of the mucociliary clearance (MCC), a first line host-defense, which is the conveyor belt removing inhaled particles and pathogens from airways. The motile cilia propel airway surface fluid flow traps and clear inhaled particles from airways and maintains respiratory health. The motile cilia lining the airways beat rhythmic waving with a coordinate motion in cell and also tissue (epithelia). In the primary ciliary dyskinesia, the lack of ciliary motility causes various systemic diseases (hydrocephalus, hearing loss, situs inversus, infertility) including respiratory problems. Dysfunctions of airway cilia, including disrupted motility and uncoordination of ciliary beating in the cellular and tissue (epithelial) levels, are associated with various respiratory diseases, such as viral infections, COPD, cystic fibrosis and chronic rhinosinusitis. To propel MCC, the ciliary motility is essential and, in addition, the coordinated ciliary motilities within cell and also in tissue (epithelium) are required. Ciliary motility is controlled by molecular motors, dyneins, which is modulated by intracellular environments (ions, pH, ATP and temperatures) and several factors (ultrastructure, density, spatial distribution, orientation, waveform, frequency and metachronal wave) affect the coordination of ciliary motility within a cell. Moreover, some factors (interactions between cilia and fluid flow, planar polarity and metachronal wave) affect the coordination among neighboring cells (in the tissue (epithelia)). Recent advances in the cilia research increase our knowledges regarding the mechanisms regulating ciliary motilities in cellular and tissue levels. In this Special Issue, we focus the molecular mechanisms regulating ciliary motilities maintaining respiratory health.

Prof. Dr. Takashi Nakahari
Guest Editor

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