Mena and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein are required for multiple actin-dependent processes that shape the vertebrate nervous system

Ena/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein ( VASP) proteins regulate the geometry of the actin cytoskeleton, thereby influencing cell morphology and motility. Analysis of invertebrate mutants implicates Ena/VASP function in several actin-dependent processes such as axon and dendritic guidance, cell migration, and dorsal closure. In vertebrates, genetic analysis of Ena/VASP function is hindered by the broad and overlapping expression of the three highly related family members Mena ( Mammalian enabled), VASP, and EVL (Ena-VASP like). Mice deficient in either Mena or VASP exhibit subtle defects in forebrain commissure formation and platelet aggregation, respectively. In this study, we investigated the consequence of deleting both Mena and VASP. Mena(-/-) VASP(-/-) double mutants die perinatally and display defects in neurulation, craniofacial structures, and the formation of several fiber tracts in the CNS and peripheral nervous system.