Integrative in silico and biochemical analyses demonstrate direct Arl3-mediated ODA16 release from the intraflagellar transport machinery

Outer dynein arms (ODAs) are essential for ciliary motility and are preassembled in the cytoplasm before trafficking into cilia by intraflagellar transport (IFT). ODA16 is a key adaptor protein that links ODAs to the IFT machinery via direct interaction with the IFT46 protein. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the assembly, transport, and release of ODAs remain poorly understood. Here, we employ AlphaPulldown, an in silico screening method, to identify direct interactors of ODA16, including the dynein adaptor IDA3 and the small GTPase Arl3. We use structural modeling, biochemical, and biophysical assays on Chlamydomonas and human proteins to elucidate the interactions and regulatory mechanisms governing the IFT of ODAs. We identify a conserved N-terminal motif in Chlamydomonas IFT46 that mediates its binding to one side of the ODA16 structure. Biochemical dissection reveals that IDA3 and Arl3 bind to the same surface of ODA16 (the C-terminal β-propeller face), which is opposite to the IFT46 binding site, enabling them to dissociate ODA16 from IFT46, likely through an allosteric mechanism. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into the concerted actions of IFT and adaptor proteins in ODA transport and regulation.