title: Combinatorial activity of Flamingo proteins directs convergence and extension within the early zebrafish embryo via the planar cell polarity pathway.
abstract: The seven-transmembrane protocadherin, Flamingo, functions in a number of processes during Drosophila development, including planar cell polarity (PCP). To assess the role(s) of Flamingo1/Celsr1 (Fmi1) during vertebrate embryogenesis we have exploited the zebrafish system, identifying two Fmi1 orthologues (zFmi1a and zFmi1b) and employing morpholinos to induce mis-splicing of zebrafish fmi1 mRNAs, to both imitate mutations identified in Drosophila flamingo and generate novel aberrant Flamingo proteins. We demonstrate that in the zebrafish gastrula, Fmi1 proteins function in concert with each other and with the vertebrate PCP proteins, Wnt11 and Strabismus, to mediate convergence and extension during gastrulation, without altering early dorso-ventral patterning. We show that zebrafish Fmi1a promotes extension of the entire antero-posterior axis of the zebrafish gastrula including prechordal plate and ventral diencephalic precursors. However, while we show that control over axial extension is autonomous, we find that Fmi1a is not required within lateral cells undergoing dorsal convergence.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, New Hunts House, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Formstone
authors.forename: Ivor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D017931:DNA Primers; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; C092568:Wnt11 protein, zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C502947:celsr1a protein, zebrafish; C502948:celsr1b protein, zebrafish; C491759:vangl2 protein, zebrafish