Roles of Noncanonical Wnt/PCP Pathway Genes in Neuronal Migration and Neurulation in Zebrafish

Noncanonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathways regulate oriented cell movement during development in both Drosophila and vertebrates. Recent studies have revealed similarities and differences between these pathways in the tissues on which they act. In zebrafish, PCP pathway genes regulate the directional migration of a specific population of motor neurons in the hindbrain, as well as morphogenesis of the neuroepithelium. In the present review, neuronal and neuroepithelial defects in zebrafish PCP pathway mutants are compared, and the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes are discussed. Future analyses of zebrafish PCP mutants will reveal the general mechanisms underlying the development of the neuroepithelium and provide novel insights into both conserved and diverse functions of PCP pathway genes in vertebrate development.