Divergent roles for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in epithelial maintenance and breakdown during semicircular canal formation.

ABSTRACT: The morphogenetic program that shapes the three semicircular canals (SSCs) must be executed with extreme precision to satisfy their complex vestibular function. The SSCs emerge from epithelial outgrowths of the dorsal otocyst, the central regions of which fuse and resorb to leave three fluid-filled canals. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is active at multiple stages of otic development, including during vestibular morphogenesis. How Wnt/β-catenin functionally integrates with other signaling pathways to sculpt the SSCs and their sensory patches is unknown. We used a genetic strategy to spatiotemporally modulate canonical Wnt signaling activity during SSC development in mice. Our findings demonstrate that Wnt/β-catenin signaling functions in a multifaceted manner during SSC formation. In

SUBMITTER: Rakowiecki S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3621490 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature