Planar Cell Polarity, Ciliogenesis and Neural Tube Defects

Cilia are microtubule-based protrusions that are found on the surface of most vertebrate cells. Long studied by cell biologists, these organelles have recently caught the attention of developmental biologists and human geneticists. In this review, I will discuss recent findings suggesting a link between cilia and the planar cell polarity signaling cascade. In particular, I will focus on how this interaction may influence the process of neural tube closure and how these results may be relevant to our understanding of common human birth defects in which neural tube closure is compromised.