Adhesion GPCRs govern polarity of epithelia and cell migration

Abstract

In multicellular organisms cells spatially arrange in a highly coordinated manner to form tissues and organs, which is essential for the function of an organism. The component cells and resulting structures are often polarised in one or more axes, and how such polarity is established and maintained correctly has been one of the major biological questions for many decades. Research progress has shown that many adhesion GPCRs (aGPCRs) are involved in several types of polarity. Members of the two evolutionarily oldest groups, Flamingo/Celsr and Latrophilins, are key molecules in planar cell polarity of epithelia or the propagation of cellular polarity in the early embryo, respectively. Other adhesion GPCRs play essential roles in cell migration, indicating that this receptor class includes essential molecules for the control of various levels of cellular organisation.