Essential roles of Gα(12/13) signaling in distinct cell behaviors driving zebrafish convergence and extension gastrulation movements

Gα(12/13) have been implicated in numerous cellular processes, however, their roles in vertebrate gastrulation are largely unknown. Here, we show that during zebrafish gastrulation, suppression of both Gα(12) and Gα(13) signaling by overexpressing dominant negative proteins and application of antisense morpholino-modified oligonucleotide translation interference disrupted convergence and extension without changing embryonic patterning. Analyses of mesodermal cell behaviors revealed that Gα(12/13) are required for cell elongation and efficient dorsalward migration during convergence independent of noncanonical Wnt signaling. Furthermore, Gα(12/13) function cell-autonomously to mediate mediolateral cell elongation underlying intercalation during notochord extension, likely acting in parallel to noncanonical Wnt signaling. These findings provide the first evidence that Gα(12) and Gα(13) have overlapping and essential roles in distinct cell behaviors that drive vertebrate gastrulation.