Mouse Odf2 localizes to centrosomes and basal bodies in adult tissues and to the photoreceptor primary cilium

Odf2 (outer dense fiber 2) is the major protein of the cytoskeleton of the sperm tail. In somatic cells, it is a component of the centrosome in which it is located in the appendages of the mother centriole. Additionally, as shown previously by forced expression in cultured cells, Odf2 localizes to centrioles, basal bodies, and primary cilia, which are all structurally and functionally interconnected. The importance of Odf2 has become obvious by the absence of primary cilia in Odf2-deficient cells and by the embryonic lethality of the Odf2 gene trap insertional mouse. However, nothing is known about the endogenous localization of Odf2 in the tissues of adult mice. We show here that Odf2 protein localizes to centrosomes, to photoreceptor primary cilia, and to basal bodies of ciliated cells of the respiratory epithelium and of the kidney. Our results thus suggest that Odf2 contributes to assorted ciliopathies.