Vang Like Protein 2 (VANGL2)

VANGL2 is a PCP protein that is involved in the transmission of directional cues to align either individual cells within an epithelial sheet or multicellular clusters, which polarize as a group.

The Ltap gene encodes a homolog of Drosophila 'strabismus/Van Gogh' (Stbm/Vang), a component of the frizzled-dishevelled tissue polarity pathway. Ltap is expressed broadly in the neuroectoderm throughout early neurogenesis. This and the fact that the gene was altered in 2 independent Lp alleles identified it as the likely basis for loop-tail. The authors suggested that the human Ltap homolog is worthy of search for mutations that may be associated with sporadic or familial cases of neural tube defects in humans.