Ciliogenic

Ciliogenic is an adjective used in biology to describe processes, factors, or conditions that promote or relate to ciliogenesis—the cellular process by which cilia are formed. Cilia are microtubule-based projections on the surface of many eukaryotic cells and are involved in signaling, sensory perception, and movement of fluids across epithelial surfaces. Ciliogenic can apply to genetic programs, signaling molecules, or experimental treatments that stimulate ciliogenesis or enhance ciliary maintenance.

Ciliogenesis begins with the maturation of the mother centriole into a basal body that anchors at the apical cell surface, followed by docking of the axoneme and assembly of the microtubule core and the ciliary membrane. Intraflagellar transport, powered by kinesin and dynein motors, drives the delivery of structural components along the growing axoneme. Regulatory networks controlling ciliogenesis include transcription factors such as FoxJ1, which promotes the expression of motile ciliary genes; the RFX family, which governs a broad ciliary gene program; and multicilin (Mcidas), a regulator of multiciliated cell differentiation. Ciliogenic signaling can also be influenced by external cues, cell fate decisions, and extracellular matrix interactions.

Clinical and research relevance: Defects in ciliogenesis underlie many ciliopathies, including polycystic kidney disease, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Understanding ciliogenic mechanisms informs attempts to diagnose, model, and potentially treat these conditions by restoring or modulating ciliary formation and function.