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Article

  • The EMBO Journal (2004) 23, 3259 - 3269
  • doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7600332

Published online: 5 August 2004

Paraxial protocadherin coordinates cell polarity during convergent extension via Rho A and JNK

Frank Unterseher1,a, Joerg A Hefele1,a, Klaudia Giehl2, Eddy M De Robertis3, Doris Wedlich1 and Alexandra Schambony1

  1. Universität Karlsruhe, Zoologisches Institut II, Karlsruhe, Germany
  2. Universität Ulm, Abteilung Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Ulm, Germany
  3. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Correspondence to:

Alexandra Schambony, Universität Karlsruhe, Zoologisches Institut II, Kaiserstrasse 12, 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany. Tel.: +49 721 608 4195; Fax: +49 721 608 3992; E-mail: schambony@zi2.uka.de

aThese authors contributed equally to this work

Received 14 January 2004; Accepted 22 June 2004

Convergent extension movements occur ubiquitously in animal development. This special type of cell movement is controlled by the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Here we show that Xenopus paraxial protocadherin (XPAPC) functionally interacts with the Wnt/PCP pathway in the control of convergence and extension (CE) movements in Xenopus laevis. XPAPC functions as a signalling molecule that coordinates cell polarity of the involuting mesoderm in mediolateral orientation and thus selectively promotes convergence in CE movements. XPAPC signals through the small GTPases Rho A and Rac 1 and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Loss of XPAPC function blocks Rho A-mediated JNK activation. Despite common downstream components, XPAPC and Wnt/PCP signalling are not redundant, and the activity of both, XPAPC and PCP signalling, is required to coordinate CE movements.

  • Keywords:

    • convergent extension,
    • JNK,
    • planar cell polarity,
    • Rho A,
    • XPAPC