The mouse Wnt/PCP protein Vangl2 is necessary for migration of facial branchiomotor neurons, and functions independently of Dishevelled

During development, facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, which innervate muscles in the vertebrate head, migrate caudally and radially within the brainstem to form a motor nucleus at the pial surface. Several components of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, including the transmembrane protei...

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Veröffentlicht in:Developmental biology 2012-09, Vol.369 (2), p.211-222
Hauptverfasser: Glasco, Derrick M., Sittaramane, Vinoth, Bryant, Whitney, Fritzsch, Bernd, Sawant, Anagha, Paudyal, Anju, Stewart, Michelle, Andre, Philipp, Cadete Vilhais-Neto, Gonçalo, Yang, Yingzi, Song, Mi-Ryoung, Murdoch, Jennifer N., Chandrasekhar, Anand
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:During development, facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, which innervate muscles in the vertebrate head, migrate caudally and radially within the brainstem to form a motor nucleus at the pial surface. Several components of the Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway, including the transmembrane protein Vangl2, regulate caudal migration of FBM neurons in zebrafish, but their roles in neuronal migration in mouse have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, we analyzed FBM neuron migration in mouse looptail (Lp) mutants, in which Vangl2 is inactivated. In Vangl2Lp/+ and Vangl2 Lp/Lp embryos, FBM neurons failed to migrate caudally from rhombomere (r) 4 into r6. Although caudal migration was largely blocked, many FBM neurons underwent normal radial migration to the pial surface of the neural tube. In addition, hindbrain patterning and FBM progenitor specification were intact, and FBM neurons did not transfate into other non-migratory neuron types, indicating a specific effect on caudal migration. Since loss-of-function in some zebrafish Wnt/PCP genes does not affect caudal migration of FBM neurons, we tested whether this was also the case in mouse. Embryos null for Ptk7, a regulator of PCP signaling, had severe defects in caudal migration of FBM neurons. However, FBM neurons migrated normally in Dishevelled (Dvl) 1/2 double mutants, and in zebrafish embryos with disrupted Dvl signaling, suggesting that Dvl function is essentially dispensable for FBM neuron caudal migration. Consistent with this, loss of Dvl2 function in Vangl2Lp/+ embryos did not exacerbate the Vangl2Lp/+ neuronal migration phenotype. These data indicate that caudal migration of FBM neurons is regulated by multiple components of the Wnt/PCP pathway, but, importantly, may not require Dishevelled function. Interestingly, genetic-interaction experiments suggest that rostral FBM neuron migration, which is normally suppressed, depends upon Dvl function. ► We examined facial branchiomotor (FBM) neuron migration in several Wnt/PCP mutants. ► Caudal migration lost in Vangl2 and Ptk7 mutants, but not in Dvl1/2 double mutants. ► Caudal migration of FBM neurons is independent of Dvl function. ► Rostral migration of FBM neurons, which is normally suppressed, is Dvl-dependent.
ISSN:0012-1606
1095-564X
1095-564X
DOI:10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.06.021