The Plane Facts of PCP in the CNS

Abstract

Planar cell polarity (PCP) pathways have been defined by their ability to direct the development of obviously polarized cellular architectures. Recent studies indicate that PCP pathways also regulate aspects of cell morphology that are not restricted to the plane of the epithelium. In the developing nervous system, PCP-mediated changes in the cytoskeleton are fundamental to neuronal migration, neuronal polarity, axon guidance, and dendritic arborization, highlighting the importance of "planar polarity" genes for defining the shape of a neuron in all dimensions.