The authors suggest that the cilia release the sheets via collective movement. Could there also be a role for release via a change in cilia-ECM interaction? Say, via MMP-mediated cleavage of integrins or other collagen-interacting proteins?

Could cilia have holdfast functions beyond mollusks? Collagen is pretty ancient (but not as old as cilia). For example, it looks like choanoflagellates have genes encoding collagen-like molecules (e.g., Uniprot A9V9M1 and A9V8A7). What do they do with them? Part of the theca?

Not to be overly critical, but it does seem like a missed opportunity for some proteomics of lamellae composition and immunofluorescence imaging of cell/cilia/collagen interactions.

Super-intriguing story from Matt Harrington group. Mussels remain in place despite being buffeted by waves by using billions of cilia to hold onto collagen sheets that attach to rocks! And if they want to move, serotonin allows the cilia to wriggle free of the sheets: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Whew! What's up, peeps? Please come follow us for long-running (some might say monomaniacal) threads on ciliary signaling...