Atypical cadherins Celsr1-3 and planar cell polarity in vertebrates.

Cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptors 1, 2, and 3 (Celsr1-3) form a family of three atypical cadherins with multiple functions in epithelia and in the nervous system. During the past decade, evidence has accumulated for important and distinct roles of Celsr1-3 in planar cell polarity (PCP) during the development of the brain and some other organs. Although Celsr function in PCP is conserved from flies to mammals, other functions may be more distantly related, with Celsr working only with one or a subset of the classical core PCP partners. Here, we review the literature on Celsr, focusing on PCP and particularly on brain development.