1932

Abstract

Most, if not all, cell types and tissues display several aspects of polarization. In addition to the ubiquitous epithelial cell polarity along the apical-basolateral axis, many epithelial tissues and organs are also polarized within the plane of the epithelium. This is generally referred to as planar cell polarity (PCP; or historically, tissue polarity). Genetic screens in pioneered the discovery of core PCP factors, and subsequent work in vertebrates has established that the respective pathways are evolutionarily conserved. PCP is not restricted only to epithelial tissues but is also found in mesenchymal cells, where it can regulate cell migration and cell intercalation. Moreover, particularly in vertebrates, the conserved core PCP signaling factors have recently been found to be associated with the orientation or formation of cilia. This review discusses new developments in the molecular understanding of PCP establishment in and vertebrates; these developments are integrated with new evidence that links PCP signaling to human disease.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091432
2008-12-01
2024-10-03
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091432
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091432
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error