title: Rho GTPases in mammalian spinal neural tube closure.
abstract: Neural tube closure is an important morphogenetic event that involves dramatic reshaping of both neural and non-neural tissues. Rho GTPases are key cytoskeletal regulators involved in cell motility and in several developmental processes, and are thus expected to play pivotal roles in neurulation. Here, we discuss 2 recent studies that shed light on the roles of distinct Rho GTPases in different tissues during neurulation. RhoA plays an essential role in regulating actomyosin dynamics in the neural epithelium of the elevating neural folds, while Rac1 is required for the formation of cell protrusions in the non-neural surface ectoderm during neural fold fusion.
authors: a Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London , UK.
authors: Ana
authors: 0000-0002-8683-4991
authors: A
authors: Rolo
authors: a Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London , UK.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Escuin
authors: a Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London , UK.
authors: Nicholas D E
authors: 0000-0002-4170-5248
authors: NDE
authors: Greene
authors: a Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health , London , UK.
authors: Andrew J
authors: 0000-0002-2544-9117
authors: AJ
authors: Copp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins
keywords: actomyosin; Cdc42; cell protrusions; morphogenesis; mouse; neurulation; Rac1; RhoA