Non-Canonical Maternal <i>WNT4</i> Activates Canonical Zygotic <i>WNT8C</i> for Early Embryonic Development in Chicken.

ABSTRACT: The proper regulation of signaling pathways, including WNT signaling, during early embryonic development is critical for whole-organism development. In particular, maternally enriched WNTs play critical roles in cell cleavage and axis formation through non-canonical and canonical pathways during early embryogenesis. However, early developmental processes related to maternal WNTs and their underlying mechanisms have remained unstudied in avian species. In this study, we investigated WNT signaling-mediated early development in the chicken embryo. We found that WNT4 and WNT6, different ligands from other species, exhibited expression patterns consistent with maternal enrichment in chicken. The chemical inhibition of maternal WNT signaling in intrauterine embryos led to aberrant

SUBMITTER: Hwang YS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12937655 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature