Does planar cell polarity matter during spermatogenesis?

Planar cell polarity (PCP) has been extensively investigated for decades in Drosophila and also hair cells in cochlea. Recent studies have shown that many of the PCP proteins are well conserved, from flies to rodents and humans. In rodents and humans, the Van Gogh (Vang)/Prickle (Pk) complex, the frizzled (Fz)/dishevelled (Dvl)/inversin (Ivs) (or Diego (Dgo) in Drosophila) complex, and the Celsr (or flamingo (Fmi) in Drosophila) protein are crucial to confer PCP, both during embryogenesis such as gastrulation and also in adult cells/tissues. While there are few reports in the literature that examine the role of PCP proteins in spermatogenesis, emerging evidence has illustrated the importance of PCP during the seminiferous epithelial cycle of spermatogenesis. In this chapter, we carefully evaluate recent published data in light of the significance of PCP in Drosophila and highlight some of the areas of research that deserve attention in future research.