A dramatic difference in the mechanism of ciliogenesis is
seen in multiciliated epithelia. In contrast to primary cilia in
most cells, cilia in the airway and ependymal cells are nucleated
by basal bodies that form de novo in large spherical arrays called
deuterosomes ( Dirksen, 1991 ). Defects in deuterosome-specifi c
genes might result in cilia defects specifi cally in multiciliated
epithelia without having any effect on sensory primary cilia.