Review

Nature Reviews Genetics 8, 126-138 (February 2007) | doi:10.1038/nrg2042

Frizzled/PCP signalling: a conserved mechanism regulating cell polarity and directed motility

Jessica R. K. Seifert1 & Marek Mlodzik1  About the authors

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Signalling through Frizzled (Fz)/planar cell polarity (PCP) is a conserved mechanism that polarizes cells along specific axes in a tissue. Genetic screens in Drosophila melanogaster pioneered the discovery of core PCP factors, which regulate the orientation of hairs on wings and facets in eyes. Recent genetic evidence shows that the Fz/PCP pathway is conserved in vertebrates and is crucial for disparate processes as gastrulation and sensory cell orientation. Fz/PCP signalling depends on complex interactions between core components, leading to their asymmetric distribution and ultimately polarized activity in a cell. Whereas several mechanistic aspects of PCP have been uncovered, the global coordination of this polarization remains debated.

Author affiliations

  1. Brookdale Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.

Correspondence to: Marek Mlodzik1 Email: marek.mlodzik@mssm.edu

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