The cilia and the cytoplasm are separated by a region called the transition zone, where
wedge-shaped structures link the microtubule doublets of the axoneme to the ciliary
membrane, thereby forming a ciliary “gate.” In this issue, Craige et al.(J. Cell Biol. doi:
10.1083/jcb. 201006105) demonstrate in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that Nphp6/cep290,
which is mutated in nephronophthisis (NPHP), is an integral component of these connectors
and maintains the structural integrity of this gate.