Strabismus was originally identified as a ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' (), from Ancient Greek δρόσος (''drósos''), meaning "dew", and φίλος (''phílos''), meaning "loving", is a genus of fly, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or p ...

'' protein involved in

planar cell polarity Planar cell polarity (PCP) is the protein-mediated Cell signaling, signaling that coordinates the orientation of Cell (biology), cells in a layer of Epithelium, epithelial tissue. In vertebrates, examples of mature PCP oriented tissue are the stere ...

. Flies with mutated ''strabismus'' genes have altered development of

ommatidia The compound eyes of arthropods like insects, crustaceans and millipedes are composed of units called ommatidia (: ommatidium). An ommatidium contains a cluster of photoreceptor cells surrounded by support cells and pigment cells. The outer part ...

in their

eyes An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

Vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

s have two Strabismus-related proteins, VANGL1 and VANGL2 (an alternate name for the ''Drosophila'' "Strabismus" protein is "Van Gogh"). The amino acid sequence and localization studies for Strabismus indicate that it is a

membrane protein Membrane proteins are common proteins that are part of, or interact with, biological membranes. Membrane proteins fall into several broad categories depending on their location. Integral membrane proteins are a permanent part of a cell membrane ...

. Prickle is another protein in the planar cell polarity signaling pathway. Prickle is recruited to the

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

surface

membrane A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. Bi ...

by strabismus. In cells of the developing ''Drosophila'' wing, Prickle and Strabismus are concentrated at the cell surface membrane on the most proximal side of cells.

Vertebrate cell movement

VANGL2 is involved in the migration of groups of cells during vertebrate embryogenesis.

Humans

In humans, mutations in VANGL1 have been associated with

neural tube defect Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of birth defects in which an opening in the spine or cranium remains from early in human development. In the third week of pregnancy called gastrulation, specialized cells on the dorsal side of the embryo ...

s including

spina bifida Spina bifida (SB; ; Latin for 'split spine') is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the vertebral column, spine and the meninges, membranes around the spinal cord during embryonic development, early development in pregnancy. T ...

, and with some forms of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

including

hepatocellular carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and is currently the most common cause of death in people with cirrhosis. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC most common ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strabismus (Protein) Cell signaling Drosophila melanogaster genes