FoxL1⁺ mesenchymal cells are a critical source of Wnt5a for midgut elongation during mouse embryonic intestinal development.

ABSTRACT: Wnt5a is a non-canonical Wnt ligand that is essential for normal embryonic development in mammals. The role of Wnt5a in early intestinal development has been examined in gene ablation models, where Wnt5a^-/- mice exhibit strikingly shortened intestines. However, the exact cellular source of Wnt5a has remained elusive, until a recent study found that FoxL1-expressing mesenchymal cells (FoxL1⁺ cells), which are localized directly beneath the intestinal epithelium, express Wnt5a. To determine whether FoxL1⁺ cells are a required source of Wnt5a during intestinal development, we derived FoxL1-Cre; Wnt5a^f/f mice, which is the first mouse model to ablate Wnt5a in a cell type-specific manner in the intestine in vivo. Our results show that Wnt5a deletion i

SUBMITTER: Kondo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7988427 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature