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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Mouse Hindbrain Ex Vivo Culture to Study Facial Branchiomotor Neuron Migration
10:57

Mouse Hindbrain Ex Vivo Culture to Study Facial Branchiomotor Neuron Migration

Published on: March 18, 2014

Atypical cadherins Celsr1-3 differentially regulate migration of facial branchiomotor neurons in mice

Yibo Qu1, Derrick M Glasco, Libing Zhou

  • 1Institute of Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|July 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Cadherins Celsr1-3 and Fzd3 are crucial for facial branchiomotor neuron migration during hindbrain development. Celsr1 guides migration direction, while Celsr2 and Celsr3 control the ability to migrate.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons migrate during hindbrain development.
  • Planar cell polarity genes are implicated in FBM neuron migration in zebrafish.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the roles of cadherins Celsr1-3 and Fzd3 in mouse FBM neuron migration.
  • Determine the cell-autonomous or non-cell-autonomous functions of these genes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Celsr1 (knock-out and Crash alleles) and Celsr2 mutant mice.
  • Conditional inactivation of Celsr genes in FBM neurons.
  • Assessment of FBM neuron migration patterns and hindbrain patterning.

Main Results:

  • Celsr1 mutations disrupted caudal migration, causing rostral and lateral misplacement of FBM neurons.
  • Celsr1 function in FBM neuron migration is non-cell autonomous.
  • Celsr2 mutations led to premature lateral migration, an effect enhanced by Celsr3 inactivation.
  • Fzd3 inactivation mimicked Celsr2 phenotypes, and Celsr2 was epistatic to Celsr1.

Conclusions:

  • Celsr1, Celsr2, and Celsr3 play distinct roles in FBM neuron migration.
  • Celsr1 specifies migration direction, while Celsr2 and Celsr3 regulate migration execution.

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