Loss of p130Cas impairs palatal mesenchymal expansion and causes cleft palate

Disruption of these events results in cleft palate, one of the most common congenital craniofacial anomalies. p130Crk-associated substrate (p130Cas) is an adaptor protein involved in integrin-mediated signaling and cytoskeletal regulation; however, its roles in late embryonic development remain poorly understood because global p130Cas-deficiency leads to early embryonic lethality.

In this study, we used tamoxifen-inducible conditional knockout mice to investigate the function of p130Cas during palatal development. Conditional deletion of p130Cas resulted in cleft palate characterized by impaired horizontal growth of the palatal shelves. Reduced mesenchymal cell proliferation within the palatal shelves was confirmed by Ki-67 immunostaining and EdU incorporation.