Purified Wnt5a protein activates or inhibits beta-catenin-TCF signaling depending on receptor context.

ABSTRACT: The Wnts comprise a large class of secreted proteins that control essential developmental processes such as embryonic patterning, cell growth, migration, and differentiation. In the most well-understood "canonical" Wnt signaling pathway, Wnt binding to Frizzled receptors induces beta-catenin protein stabilization and entry into the nucleus, where it complexes with T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor transcription factors to affect the transcription of target genes. In addition to the canonical pathway, evidence for several other Wnt signaling pathways has accumulated, in particular for Wnt5a, which has therefore been classified as a noncanonical Wnt family member. To study the alternative mechanisms by which Wnt proteins signal, we purified the Wnt5a protein to homogeneity. We find that

SUBMITTER: Mikels AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1420652 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature