axonemal dynein complex

GO:0005858 · Cytoskeleton · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A dynein complex found in eukaryotic cilia and flagella; the motor domain heads interact with adjacent microtubules to generate a sliding force which is converted to a bending motion. [GO:0005858]

Part of: axoneme (GO:0005930)

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:3055 Chlamydomonas reinhardtii — COMMON: Chlamydomonas flagellar axonemes contain axonemal inner and outer dynein arm complexes attached to outer doublet microtubules. [DOI:10.1126/science.1128618]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:3055 Chlamydomonas reinhardtii — Green-algal model whose axonemal dynein arrangement on demembranated 9+2 flagellar axonemes has been resolved by cryoelectron tomography. [DOI:10.1126/science.1128618]

Functions

microtubule sliding GO:0051012 — Axonemal dynein complexes on Chlamydomonas outer doublets generate sliding forces between adjacent microtubules that are converted into flagellar bending.
- GO:0005858 GO defines axonemal dynein complexes by motor-domain heads that interact with adjacent microtubules to generate sliding force.
- DOI:10.1126/science.1128618 Nicastro et al. 2006 modeled how dynein arms on Chlamydomonas axonemal outer doublets generate microtubule-sliding forces.

Mechanism graphs

Axonemal dynein complexes drive microtubule sliding (FUNCTION)

In Chlamydomonas flagellar axonemes, inner and outer dynein arms are axonemal dynein complexes that project from outer doublet microtubules and drive interdoublet microtubule sliding.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
inner dynein arm	is a	axonemal dynein complex	`GO:0005858` QuickGO lists GO:0036156 inner dynein arm as an is_a child of GO:0005858.
outer dynein arm	is a	axonemal dynein complex	`GO:0005858` QuickGO lists GO:0036157 outer dynein arm as an is_a child of GO:0005858.
axonemal dynein complex	projects from	axonemal doublet microtubule	`GO:0036156` GO defines inner dynein arms as axonemal structures on ciliary and flagellar outer doublet microtubules. `GO:0036157` GO defines outer dynein arms as axonemal structures on ciliary and flagellar outer doublet microtubules. `DOI:10.1126/science.1128618` Nicastro et al. 2006 resolved dynein arms attached to Chlamydomonas axonemal outer doublets.
axonemal dynein complex	is part of	axoneme	`GO:0005858` OLS returns a direct part_of relation from GO:0005858 to GO:0005930.
axonemal dynein complex	drives	microtubule sliding	`GO:0005858` GO defines axonemal dynein complexes as dynein complexes whose motor heads generate sliding force between adjacent microtubules. `DOI:10.1126/science.1128618` Nicastro et al. 2006 interpreted the Chlamydomonas dynein-arm arrangement in a microtubule-sliding model.

Discussions

INTERPRETATION (RESOLVED): Should arm-specific heavy-chain isoforms and outer-arm intermediate and light-chain groups be curated on the generic axonemal dynein complex record? GO:0005858 is the generic axonemal dynein complex parent for inner-arm and outer-arm dynein complexes. The child GO terms carry the specific inner-arm and outer-arm boundaries needed to curate chain-set composition without conflating the two axonemal motor classes.

Evidence

GO:0005858 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the axonemal dynein complex.
GO:0030286 OLS places the axonemal dynein complex under the dynein complex.
GO:0005930 OLS places the axonemal dynein complex within the axoneme.
GO:0036156 Gene Ontology places the inner dynein arm under the axonemal dynein complex.
GO:0036157 Gene Ontology places the outer dynein arm under the axonemal dynein complex.
GO:0097545 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the axonemal doublet microtubule scaffold contacted by axonemal dyneins.
GO:0051012 Gene Ontology biological-process term for microtubule sliding.
DOI:10.1126/science.1128618 Nicastro et al. 2006, 'The molecular architecture of axonemes revealed by cryoelectron tomography', Science.

Curation history

2026-09-24T00:08:21Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-24T00:09:40Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added dynein-complex parentage and axoneme parthood, Chlamydomonas scope, microtubule-sliding function, GO and DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic axonemal dynein graph, and a resolved child-boundary discussion.

Source: data/structures/cytoskeleton/axonemal_dynein_complex.yaml