Primary cilia dysfunction alters renal tubular cell proliferation and differentiation and
associates with accelerated cyst formation in polycystic kidney disease. However, the
mechanism leading from primary ciliary dysfunction to renal cyst formation is unknown. We
hypothesize that primary cilia prevent renal cyst formation by suppressing pathologic tubular
cell hypertrophy and proliferation. Unilateral nephrectomy initiates tubular cell hypertrophy
and proliferation in the contralateral kidney and provides a tool to examine primary cilia …