An LRR Receptor-Teneurin System Directs Planar Polarity at Compartment Boundaries

Epithelial cells dynamically self-organize in response to extracellular spatial cues relayed by cell-surface receptors. During convergent extension in Drosophila, Toll-related receptors direct planar polarized cell rearrangements that elongate the head-to-tail axis. However, many cells establish polarity in the absence of Toll receptor activity, indicating the presence of additional spatial cues. Here we demonstrate that the leucine-rich-repeat receptor Tartan and the teneurin Ten-m provide critical polarity signals at epithelial compartment boundaries. The Tartan and Ten-m extracellular domains interact in vitro, and Tartan promotes Ten-m localization to compartment boundaries in vivo. We show that Tartan and Ten-m are necessary for the planar polarity and organization of compartment boundary cells. Moreover, ectopic stripes of Tartan and Ten-m are sufficient to induce myosin accumulation at stripe boundaries. These results demonstrate that the Tartan/Ten-m and Toll receptor systems together create a high-resolution network of spatial cues that guides cell behavior during convergent extension.