Apical accumulation of Rho in the neural plate is important for neural plate cell shape change and neural tube formation.
Although Rho-GTPases are well-known regulators of cytoskeletal reorganization, their in vivo distribution and physiological functions have remained elusive. In this study, we found marked apical accumulation of Rho in developing chick embryos undergoing folding of the neural plate during neural tube formation, with similar accumulation of activated myosin II. The timing of accumulation and biochemical activation of both Rho and myosin II was coincident with the dynamics of neural tube formation. Inhibition of Rho disrupted its apical accumulation and led to defects in neural tube formation, with abnormal morphology of the neural plate. Continuous activation of Rho also altered neural tube formation. These results indicate that correct spatiotemporal regulation of Rho is essential for neural tube morphogenesis. Furthermore, we found that a key morphogenetic signaling pathway, the Wnt/PCP pathway, was implicated in the apical accumulation of Rho and regulation of cell shape in the neural plate, suggesting that this signal may be the spatiotemporal regulator of Rho in neural tube formation.
Kinoshita
Nagatoki
N
Electron Microscope Laboratory and Organogenesis and Neurogenesis Group, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
Sasai
Noriaki
N
Misaki
Kazuyo
K
Yonemura
Shigenobu
S
D000205:Actomyosin / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D016764:Cell Polarity; D048430:Cell Shape; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D024462:Myosin Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D054258:Neural Plate / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054261:Neurulation; D021381:Protein Transport; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000205:Actomyosin; D024462:Myosin Type II; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins