title: Coupling planar cell polarity signaling to morphogenesis.
abstract: Epithelial cells and other groups of cells acquire a polarity orthogonal to their apical-basal axes, referred to as Planar Cell Polarity (PCP). The process by which these cells become polarized requires a signaling pathway using Frizzled as a receptor. Responding cells sense cues from their environment that provide directional information, and they translate this information into cellular asymmetry. Most of what is known about PCP derives from studies in the fruit fly, Drosophila. We review what is known about how cells translate an unknown signal into asymmetric cytoskeletal reorganization. We then discuss how the vertebrate processes of convergent extension and cochlear hair-cell development may relate to Drosophila PCP signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, L235, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5324, USA. jaxelrod@cmgm.stanford.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Axelrod
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McNeill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C058784:fz protein, Drosophila