1.南华大学药学院药理学教研室;2.湖南文理学院医学院
国家自然科学基金
1.The University of South China;2.School of Medicine,Hunan University of Arts and Science;3.School of Pharmacy,University of South China
The National Natural Science Foundation of China
初级纤毛是广泛存在于真核细胞表面的微管突起,兼具力学感知与代谢信号整合属性,可将局部机械刺激与化学线索转译为系统层级的稳态调节。本文围绕“力学与代谢的偶联”这一主线,综述初级纤毛在神经系统、骨与血管系统以及肾脏系统中的关键作用,并重点探讨其跨系统调控的因果逻辑。现有证据表明,中枢神经元纤毛整合能量状态与神经递质,通过交感神经与体液途径为外周器官设定机械与代谢的“边界条件”;骨与血管纤毛将机械负荷与剪切应力编码为骨重塑与血流动力学改变;肾小管纤毛则通过“剪切力-纤毛-代谢”轴耦联能量代谢与水盐排泄。本文进一步辨析了跨系统整合的机制,提出以“生理性级联调控”为主轴、以“并行分子缺陷”为背景的嵌套回路模型,并构建了从机制到干预的“因果—转化”路线图。 综上,初级纤毛基于统一结构基础实现跨组织的信号整合与功能分化,是连接神经、骨、血管及肾脏轴线的关键枢纽;该框架不仅解释了多系统纤毛病的共同病理链条,更为靶向纤毛的结构修复与代谢救援提供了系统层面的理论依据。
Primary cilia—those solitary, microtubule-based projections extending from the surface of most eukaryotic cells—are increasingly recognized not merely as cellular appendages, but as sophisticated signaling hubs. By compartmentalizing specific receptors (e.g., GPCRs) and effectors within a microdomain guarded by the transition zone, these organelles function effectively as high-gain sensors capable of integrating mechanical stimuli with metabolic cues. In this review, we examine the pivotal role of primary cilia across the nervous, bone-vascular, and renal landscapes, arguing for a unified “mechano-metabolic coupling” framework. Here, conserved ciliary modules are not static; rather, they are differentially deployed to uphold systemic homeostasis. Within the central nervous system, we position primary cilia as upstream integrators. We highlight how hypothalamic neuronal cilia concentrate metabolic receptors, such as the Melanocortin 4 Receptor (MC4R), to interpret energy status. Moreover, the recent identification of serotonergic “axon-cilium synapses” points to a direct mode of neurotransmission, wherein 5-HT6 receptors drive nuclear signaling and chromatin accessibility to rapidly modulate gene expression. Through these mechanisms, central cilia modulate sympathetic tone and neuroendocrine output, effectively establishing the mechanical and metabolic “boundary conditions” under which peripheral organs operate. Dysfunction in these central hubs is linked to obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders, including Bardet-Biedl syndrome. In peripheral tissues, cilia serve as versatile mechanotransducers that convert physical forces into biochemical responses. Regarding the bone-vascular system, we discuss the translation of mechanical loads and fluid shear stress into structural remodeling. In osteoblasts, specifically, ciliary integrity is intrinsically linked to cholesterol and glucose metabolism, fine-tuning the balance between Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling to govern osteogenesis and bone repair. A similar dynamic exists in the vasculature, where endothelial cilia sense shear stress to modulate KLF4 expression and Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition—processes critical for valvulogenesis and vascular remodeling. Meanwhile, in the kidney, tubular cilia act as terminal effectors within a “shear-cilia-metabolism” axis. Here, fluid shear stress engages ciliary signaling to trigger AMPK-mediated lipophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, thereby securing the ATP supply required for solute transport. Notably, dysregulation of this axis leads to metabolic reprogramming and aberrant proliferation, acting as a hallmark driver of cystogenesis in Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Crucially, this review attempts to dissect the often-conflated logic of cross-system integration by distinguishing three non-equivalent pathways: direct communication via ciliary extracellular vesicles, though this remains largely hypothetical in long-range signaling; “physiology-mediated cascades,” where ciliary dysfunction in a single organ—such as the kidney—precipitates systemic pathology through hemodynamic and metabolic shifts (e.g., altered blood pressure, fluid volume, or uremic toxins); and“parallel molecular defects,” where shared genetic mutations in ubiquitous components like the IFT machinery cause simultaneous, independent failures across multiple organ systems. Building on these distinctions, we propose a nested-loop model that links central set-points with peripheral feedback via physiological variables. Furthermore, we construct a “causality-to-translation” roadmap that pinpoints structural repair (e.g., targeting IFT assembly) and metabolic rescue (e.g., AMPK activation or autophagy induction) as promising therapeutic avenues. Ultimately, this framework provides a theoretical basis for deciphering the shared pathological mechanisms of multisystem ciliopathies, offering a strategic guide for the development of targeted interventions that go beyond symptomatic treatment.
段亮臣,胡昊良,王姝之,颜家龙,陈临溪.初级纤毛介导的力学-代谢偶联:神经-骨-血管-肾的跨系统稳态调控[J].生物化学与生物物理进展,,():
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