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. 2024 Nov 1;151(21):dev202829.
doi: 10.1242/dev.202829. Epub 2024 Nov 12.

Planar cell polarity zebrafish models of congenital scoliosis reveal underlying defects in notochord morphogenesis

Mingqin Wang  1   2 , Sen Zhao  3 , Chenjun Shi  4 , Marie-Claude Guyot  1 , Meijiang Liao  5 , Josephine T Tauer  6 , Bettina M Willie  6 , Nikita Cobetto  7 , Carl-Éric Aubin  1   7 , Elke Küster-Schöck  1 , Pierre Drapeau  2   5 , Jitao Zhang  4 , Nan Wu  3 , Zoha Kibar  1   2
Affiliations

Planar cell polarity zebrafish models of congenital scoliosis reveal underlying defects in notochord morphogenesis

Mingqin Wang et al. Development. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a type of vertebral malformation for which the etiology remains elusive. The notochord is pivotal for vertebrae development, but its role in CS is still understudied. Here, we generated a zebrafish knockout of ptk7a, a planar cell polarity (PCP) gene that is essential for convergence and extension (C&E) of the notochord, and detected congenital scoliosis-like vertebral malformations (CVMs). Maternal zygotic ptk7a mutants displayed severe C&E defects of the notochord. Excessive apoptosis occurred in the malformed notochord, causing a significantly reduced number of vacuolated cells, and compromising the mechanical properties of the notochord. The latter manifested as a less-stiff extracellular matrix along with a significant reduction in the number of the caveolae and severely loosened intercellular junctions in the vacuolated region. These defects led to focal kinks, abnormal mineralization, and CVMs exclusively at the anterior spine. Loss of function of another PCP gene, vangl2, also revealed excessive apoptosis in the notochord associated with CVMs. This study suggests a new model for CS pathogenesis that is associated with defects in notochord C&E and highlights an essential role of PCP signaling in vertebrae development.

Keywords: Congenital scoliosis; Notochord; Planar cell polarity; Zebrafish model.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests.

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