OCCURRENCE AND STRUCTURE OF PRIMARY CILIA IN A SUBLINE OF POTOROUS-TRIDACTYLUS

The paper describes a subline of rat kangaroo Potorous tridactylus kidney (PtK1) cells capable of producing a single primary (9+0) cilium during interphase. Antitubulin immunofluorescence, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) were used to demonstrate the occurrence and structural features of the cilia. During repeated subculturing the frequency of cilia ranged from approx. 60% of the cells in a growing population to almost 100% in confluent cultures. We believe that the subline may provide excellent material for high resolution correlative light- and electron microscopic studies on the development, function and subsequent fate of primary cilia during the cell cycle. © 1979.