Polarized Organization of the Cytoskeleton: Regulation by Cell Polarity Proteins.

Abstract Polarity is one of the fundamental properties displayed by living organisms. In metazoans, cell polarity governs developmental processes and plays an essential role during maintenance of forms of tissues as well as their functions. The mechanisms of establishment and maintenance of cell polarity have been investigated extensively in the last two decades. This has resulted in identification of “core cell polarity modules” that control anterior–posterior, front–rear and apical–basal polarity across various cell types. Here, we review how these polarity modules interact closely with the cytoskeleton during establishment and maintenance of cytoskeletal polarity. We further suggest that reciprocal interactions between cell polarity modules and the cytoskeleton consolidate the initial weaker polarity, arising from an external cue, into a committed polarized system. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Cytoskeletal polarity is one of the most important features of cell polarity. • Cytoskeletal polarity is regulated by core polarity proteins. • Cytoskeleton and core polarity proteins interact reciprocally to set up cytoskeletal polarity. • Mechanistic details of regulation of cytoskeletal polarity by cell polarity proteins are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]