centriole
Enable an AI agent to recognise an individual centriole, assess its assembly, integrity and functional readiness in cellular context, and choose justified observations or experimental interventions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise an individual centriole, assess its assembly, integrity and functional readiness in cellular context, and choose justified observations or experimental interventions.
A centriole is a barrel-shaped, nine-fold microtubule organelle that templates cilia and flagella and, in animal cells, pairs to form the centrosome that organizes the mitotic spindle.
It can be Identify, count and track individual centrioles while retaining uncertainty about unresolved candidates.; Measure barrel geometry, microtubule organisation and appendage localisation using suitable imaging evidence.; Reconstruct centriole assembly history and parent-offspring relationships across observations.; Assess evidence for duplication, centrosomal participation or basal-body readiness in the specified cellular context.; Select a follow-up observation that distinguishes incomplete maturation, structural damage and detection failure.; Plan and evaluate context-appropriate experimental perturbations of centriole assembly or interfaces with controls and explicit readouts..
Distinguishing features
Resolve a discrete centriolar microtubule architecture with identifiable axial organisation; a fluorescent punctum alone is insufficient for confirmed identity.
Separate the individual centriole from the surrounding centrosomal material: record the barrel boundary independently of the broader microtubule-organising region.
Locate the boundary between the centriole barrel and a continuing ciliary axoneme; record basal-body service as a role of the tracked structure rather than automatically creating another physical object.
Assess a candidate procentriole through its assembly architecture and developmental relationship, rather than confusing it with a fragment or requiring mature appendages.
Evaluate symmetry, microtubule organisation and cartwheel features against organism-specific evidence rather than a single universal template; comparative tomography documents architectural diversity. [Primary research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7667884/)
Scope
+ Individual centriole identification and tracking within a specified organism, cell type and developmental context
+ Microtubule barrel architecture, polarity, cartwheel, internal scaffold and appendages
+ Procentriole assembly, elongation, maturation and duplication relationships
+ Centriole integrity, abnormal architecture and context-dependent competence
+ Interfaces with pericentriolar material, partner centrioles and the ciliary base
+ Evidence needed to select and interpret centriole-directed observations and perturbations
- Whole-centrosome organisation and pericentriolar material dynamics beyond the centriole interface
- Ciliary axoneme structure, beating and signalling beyond the basal attachment
- Whole-cell cycle regulation, spindle mechanics and chromosome segregation
- Standalone molecular models of tubulin, assembly factors and signalling pathways
- Organism-level disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment
- Microscope operation and laboratory protocol management
Characteristics
- Biological context
- Organism, cell type, specimen, host cell and developmental stage Determines which architectural and developmental comparisons are appropriate.
- Identity confidence
- Candidate, supported, confirmed, unresolved; evidence and criterion recorded Prevents marker-positive spots or fragments from becoming unquestioned centriole counts.
- Barrel dimensions
- Length and external diameter in nm, with uncertainty and preparation method Supports assessment of elongation, deformation and context-specific size abnormalities.
- Microtubule architecture
- Observed radial count; singlet, doublet, triplet, mixed or unresolved organisation by axial region Distinguishes structural variants from incomplete assembly or damage.
- Axial polarity
- Proximal and distal ends assigned, tentative or unresolved Makes appendage localisation, assembly position and ciliary attachment interpretable.
- Assembly and maturation state
- Initiating, elongating, structurally assembled, maturing, mature or unresolved; context-specific criteria Separates completion of the barrel from acquisition of particular functions.
- Cartwheel and scaffold condition
- Present, partial, absent or unresolved for each structure, with axial extent Supports interpretation of assembly and barrel integrity without treating an undetected structure as absent.
- Appendage complement
- Distal and subdistal appendages separately recorded as present, partial, absent, unresolved or not applicable Provides context-dependent evidence for maturation and attachment capabilities.
- Parentage and partner configuration
- Parent, offspring and neighbouring centriole identities; engagement state; separation in nm and axis angle in degrees Distinguishes developmental lineage from mere proximity.
- Functional interface state
- Pericentriolar-material association, membrane docking and axoneme continuity each observed, absent or unresolved Separates available structural interfaces from demonstrated functional activity.
- Structural integrity
- Intact, incomplete, fractured, distorted, disassembling or unresolved Guides follow-up while distinguishing biological defects from specimen damage.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 17 findings · 37 questions.
Centriole recognition Establish which observed structure is the centriole and maintain its identity across observations.
Misidentifying a spot, fragment or whole centrosome invalidates later counts and state assessments.
Structural identification
Connect candidate identity to resolved architecture and localisation evidence.
Centriole identity evidence
Record the evidence supporting identification and the alternatives it excludes.
- Which resolved structural features and contextual markers support calling this object a centriole? definition
- Can the observation distinguish an individual barrel from a centrosome, protein aggregate or centriole fragment? boundary
- Which specimen, images and identification criteria support the assignment? provenance
Context and continuity
Anchor the individual structure to its biological setting and observation history.
Individual centriole continuity
Keep host-cell context and tracking evidence separate from assumed identity.
- Which organism, cell type and developmental or cell-cycle stage contain this centriole? provenance
- What evidence shows that structures seen at successive times are the same centriole? provenance
- If it becomes membrane-docked, how is its identity preserved across a linked basal-body representation? boundary
Barrel architecture Describe the centriole's axial geometry, microtubule wall and supporting structures.
Architectural observations are needed to distinguish a valid variant from incomplete assembly or structural failure.
Geometry and wall
Resolve dimensions, polarity and microtubule organisation along the barrel.
Axial wall profile
Record observed geometry by axial region without imposing one reference morphology.
- What are the barrel length and diameter, and what uncertainty follows from resolution and sample preparation? measurement
- How do radial count and singlet, doublet or triplet organisation vary along its axis? measurement
- Which landmarks establish the proximal and distal ends? definition
Internal support
Assess cartwheel, wall connections and internal scaffold where resolvable.
Support structure condition
Record support architecture and its condition; comparative cryotomography provides evidence linking an inner scaffold to centriole cohesion. [Primary research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7021493/)
- Which cartwheel, inter-microtubule connections and inner-scaffold features are resolved, and over what axial extent? measurement
- Is an apparently missing feature expected for this organism and maturation stage, or could preparation or limited resolution explain it? boundary
- Which matched structural reference supports judging the observed arrangement as intact or abnormal? provenance
Assembly and inheritance Track centriole formation, maturation and relationships through the host cell's history.
Chronological age, parentage and functional maturity must not be inferred from proximity or size alone.
Formation and elongation
Establish how a candidate centriole arose and how its structure develops.
Assembly trajectory
Record observed formation route and structural progression.
- Was formation observed beside a pre-existing centriole, through another assembly route, or only after the structure was already present? provenance
- Which changes in barrel length and assembly landmarks establish initiation, elongation or arrest? measurement
- What additional observation would distinguish an assembling procentriole from a damaged pre-existing centriole? action
Maturation and parentage
Separate inherited relationships, engagement and acquisition of mature features.
Maturation and duplication status
Maintain distinct assessments of centriole age, appendage acquisition and duplication competence.
- Which lineage observations support mother, daughter or unresolved age assignments? provenance
- What evidence distinguishes parent-procentriole engagement from another close centriole association? boundary
- Which context-specific observations establish maturity or duplication competence beyond apparent barrel completion? definition
Functional interfaces Assess the centriole's immediate connections to centrosomal material and the ciliary base.
A structurally recognisable centriole does not by itself demonstrate centrosomal or ciliary function.
Centrosomal interface
Describe local material association and positioning without attributing the entire centrosome's activity to the barrel.
Local centrosomal participation
Link the individual centriole to measured pericentriolar material and microtubule organisation.
- What pericentriolar material is associated with this centriole, and how was that association localised? measurement
- Which functional readout distinguishes centriole participation from activity of the surrounding centrosomal material? boundary
- How is the centriole positioned relative to its partner and the relevant cellular microtubule array? measurement
Basal-body interface
Assess distal attachment features, docking and continuity with a cilium.
Ciliary attachment status
Distinguish attachment-related architecture, actual membrane docking and observed axoneme connection.
- Which distal appendage or attachment structures are observed in this biological context? measurement
- Is membrane docking directly demonstrated, and is an axoneme continuous with the distal end? measurement
- Where does this centriole record hand off ownership to the transition-zone and cilium models? boundary
Condition and intervention Judge centriole abnormalities and choose observations or perturbations that can resolve them.
Useful decisions require separating intrinsic defects, normal context-dependent variation and artefacts.
Abnormality assessment
Interpret structural condition and membership in an abnormal centriole population.
Defect versus context
Record suspected defects with matched comparisons and alternative explanations.
- Does this centriole differ from an appropriate reference in length, wall continuity, symmetry or appendage complement? measurement
- If the host cell has an unusual centriole count, how were individual barrels distinguished from fragments and unresolved pairs? measurement
- What evidence separates a biological defect from normal developmental variation or preparation damage? boundary
Experimental decisions
Connect unresolved centriole states to discriminating measurements and interpretable interventions.
Centriole-directed action
Specify an experimental objective, target, controls and readouts without assuming selective effects.
- Which next observation would best resolve the disputed centriole identity, maturation state or structural defect? action
- For a proposed perturbation, which centriole feature is targeted and which effects on the host cell, centrosome or cilium could confound interpretation? action
- Which baseline, control and follow-up measurements would distinguish the intended centriole effect from general toxicity or detection loss? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- mother (mature) centriole
- daughter centriole
- procentriole
- primary cilium basal body
- motile cilium/flagellum basal body
- deuterosome-amplified centriole
- atypical/non-canonical centriole
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q190358 - item 'centriole'
- Gene Ontology - GO:0005814 - cellular component 'centriole'
- MeSH - D002510 - heading 'Centrioles'
- FMA - 63835 - Foundational Model of Anatomy 'Centriole'
- Uberon / CL - not a tissue/cell class; use GO:0005814 or FMA:63835 - centriole is an organelle, not an anatomical region
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Diagnostic and research marker of centrosome number and integrity in cancer cytology (supernumerary centrioles, multipolar mitoses).
- Model for ciliopathies: defects in centriole-to-basal-body conversion or distal appendages abolish primary cilia (e.g. OFD1, CEP164 pathway work).
- Experimental MTOC: isolated centrioles/basal bodies seed microtubule asters in vitro and in Xenopus egg extract.
- Cell-cycle and centriole-duplication screens (PLK4, SAS-6, STIL) in Drosophila, C. elegans, and cultured vertebrate cells.
- Veterinary/clinical andrology: sperm centriole (proximal centriole) inheritance and its role in zygotic centrosome assembly in most animals except rodents.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- length (mature vertebrate centriole) - 400-500 - nm
- outer diameter - 200-250 - nm
- microtubule organization - 9 triplets (A, B, C tubules) in most animal centrioles; 9 doublets or singlets in some protists and in distal cilium transition - fold / protofilament architecture
- centrioles per G1 animal cell - 2 (one mother, one daughter) - count
- centrioles at mitotic centrosomes after duplication - 4 (two pairs) - count
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Centriole amplification (PLK4 overexpression, failed licensing) yields extra centrosomes, multipolar spindles, chromosome missegregation, and is common in carcinomas.
- Failed duplication (loss of PLK4, SAS-6, STIL, CEP152) produces acentriolar or monopolar spindles and mitotic catastrophe in cells that require centrosomes.
- Defective mother-centriole appendages or distal-end maturation block primary-cilium assembly (ciliopathies: oral-facial-digital, some Joubert/Meckel spectrum genes that act at the centriole/basal body).
- Sperm centriole defects impair zygotic aster formation and can cause early embryonic arrest (species that inherit a paternal centriole).
- Over-long or structurally aberrant centrioles (CPAP/CENPJ, POC1) disrupt cilium and spindle geometry.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Most animals: sperm contributes a centriole that seeds the zygotic centrosome; mice and other rodents are an exception (early embryos assemble acentriolar centrosomes de novo).
- Land plants, most fungi, and many seed-free plant cells lack centrioles; they organize MTOCs without a 9-fold barrel. Moss/fern sperm and many algae still form centriole/basal-body flagella.
- Protist centrioles/basal bodies vary (e.g. Trichonympha, Chlamydomonas) in length, linkage, and whether triplets persist into the axoneme.
- Clinical literature may say 'centrosome' when only centriole number was scored; pathology reports from different labs are not interchangeable on that point.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- centrosome - The centrosome is the pericentriolar matrix plus (usually) a centriole pair; a centriole is the nine-fold microtubule barrel. PCM can nucleate microtubules with no centriole (plant cells, early mouse embryo).
- basal body - A basal body is a centriole (or centriole-derived barrel) docked at the plasma membrane that templates a cilium/flagellum; the same organelle is called a centriole when it is the centrosomal cylinder in the cytoplasm.
- axoneme - The axoneme is the 9+2 or 9+0 microtubule core of the cilium/flagellum distal to the transition zone; it is templated by the basal body but is not the centriole.
- microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) / spindle pole body - MTOC is the functional class; yeast spindle pole bodies are laminar plaques, not nine-fold centrioles. Presence of a SAS-6 cartwheel and nine-fold symmetry distinguishes a centriole.
- ciliary rootlet / striated rootlet - Rootlets are filamentous, often rootletin-based, attachments at the basal-body proximal end; they lack the 9-triplet microtubule wall.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of centriole this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- The Cell: A Molecular Approach - Centrioles and Basal Bodies - Organelle definition: nine-triplet microtubule barrel; basal-body role in cilia/flagella; centrosome pairing in animal cells.
- Centrosomes and centrioles - Nature Education / Scitable - Mother/daughter distinction, procentriole assembly, MTOC function, and typical dimensions.
- centriole (Q190358) - Stable identifiers (Wikidata Q190358; GO:0005814; MeSH D002510; FMA 63835) and English preferred name.
- Structure and duplication of the centrosome - Journal of Cell Science - Nine-fold cartwheel architecture, mother distal/subdistal appendages, duplication cycle, and size ranges.
What the second pass must settle
- Which organism- and cell-type-specific reference sets are sufficient to define acceptable barrel architecture, dimensions and appendage complements?
- What minimum combination of imaging and molecular evidence should qualify a candidate as a confirmed centriole when ultrastructure is unavailable?
- How should this registry link centriole and basal-body models while preserving the identity of a single physical structure?
- Which validated readouts distinguish structural maturity, duplication competence and ciliary competence in each supported biological context?
- Which observed abnormalities predict functional impairment, and which remain morphological differences without demonstrated consequences?