Functions Of The Actin Cytoskeleton In The Early Embryology Of The Nervous System

This chapter outlines the role that the actin cytoskeleton plays during the various stages of neural tube morphogenesis While a great deal has been learned about this topic, there is still much to be uncovered The large number of mutants that have been established to date is an excellent starting point, but a large-scale genetic analysis of these genes has yet to be performed Based on the fact that either many of the proteins discussed above interact directly or the pathways in which they function interact, it will be important to use genetics to uncover the relationship between these proteins and pathways in vivo Understanding how these pathways interact genetically may provide critical data that could explain the complicated etiology of human neural tube defects To date no loci have been definitively identified as being causative for human neural tube defects However, most studies indicate that there is a genetic basis for human birth defects of this nature and that they are multigenic in origin This would suggest that heterozygosity at several different loci might be sufficient to cause neural tube defects Currently, the only preventative agent for NTD is dietary supplementation with folic acid However the mechanism by which folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects is unclear Therefore, it will be important to determine if folic acid can ameliorate NTDs caused by errors in actin dynamics, PCP, or ciliogenesis or if lesions in these pathways make animals more susceptible to folic acid deficiency It appears that understanding how cytoskeletal organization is regulated in vivo during neurulation will be critical for future efforts to prevent NTD as a source of embryonic lethality and human suffering