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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jan 31.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Genet. 2008;42:517. doi: 10.1146/annurev.genet.42.110807.091432

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Examples of PCP features in mammals. PCP features of the mouse skin (a,b) and the inner ear (c,d). (a,b) Dorsal view of mouse neck and the orientation of the skin hair in wild-type mice (a) and fz3 mutant mice (b). Note random whorls, swirls, and waves in the mutant genotype as compared to the normal anterior-posterior orientation in a. In a and b anterior is up. (c,d) Orientation of sensory hair cells of the mammalian (mouse) chochlea (inner ear). Each cell contains polarized bundles of actin-based stereocilia (labeled red with phalloidin) and a tubulin-based kinocilium (labeled with antiacetylated tubulin in green). In PCP mutants these bundles still form but their orientation becomes randomized [d; Looptail/Vangl2 (stbm) mutant]. The lower panels in c and d show schematic representation of the cellular (actin bundle) orientation reflecting their randomized appearance in the mutant. The original pictures were kindly provided by Jeremy Nathans.