Roles of planar cell polarity signaling in maturation of neuronal precursor cells in the postnatal mouse olfactory bulb

Neuronal precursor cells generated by stem cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) migrate and differentiate into mature interneurons in the olfactory bulb (OB). The mechanisms responsible for the dynamic morphological changes in cells during this process are largely unknown. Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling regulates various developmental events, including neuronal migration and neurite formation. Here, we studied the function of two components of the PCP pathway, Dishevelled2 and Van Gogh like-2, in the newborn neurons in the postnatal mouse OB. Electroporation- or lentivirus-mediated introduction of vectors carrying a knockdown or dominant-negative construct of these genes into the SVZ altered the distribution and dendrite formation of newborn neurons in the OB, suggesting that PCP signaling is involved in regulating the maturation of new neurons in the OB.