Abstract
The skin of Xenopus embryos contains numerous multiciliated cells (MCCs), which collectively generate a directed fluid flow across the epithelial surface essential for distributing the overlaying mucous. MCCs develop into highly specialized cells to generate this flow, containing approximately 150 evenly spaced centrioles that give rise to motile cilia. MCC-driven fluid flow can be impaired when ciliary dysfunction occurs, resulting in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in humans. Mutations in a large number of genes (~50) have been found to be causative to PCD. Recently, studies have linked low levels of Adenylate Kinase 7 (AK7) gene expression to patients with PCD; however, the mechanism for this link remains unclear. Additionally, AK7 mutations have been linked to multiple PCD patients. Adenylate kinases modulate ATP production and consumption, with AK7 explicitly associated with motile cilia. Here we reproduce an AK7 PCD-like phenotype in Xenopus and describe the cellular consequences that occur with manipulation of AK7 levels. We show that AK7 localizes throughout the cilia in a DPY30 domain-dependent manner, suggesting a ciliary function. Additionally, we find that AK7 overexpression increases centriole number, suggesting a role in regulating centriole biogenesis. We find that in AK7-depleted embryos, cilia number, length, and beat frequency are all reduced, which in turn, significantly decreases the tissue-wide mucociliary flow. Additionally, we find a decrease in centriole number and an increase in sub-apical centrioles, implying that AK7 influences both centriole biogenesis and docking, which we propose underlie its defect in ciliogenesis. We propose that AK7 plays a role in PCD by impacting centriole biogenesis and apical docking, ultimately leading to ciliogenesis defects that impair mucociliary clearance.