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WNTs

Sunday 13 July 2003

The WNTs are a family of secreted glycoproteins that have been shown to be involved in a variety of developmental processes in many organisms. The WNT gene family consists of structurally related genes that encode cysteine-rich secreted glycoproteins that act as extracellular signaling factors.

The WNT gene family (WNTs) consists of structurally related genes encoding secreted signaling molecules that have been implicated in oncogenesis and in several developmental processes, including regulation of cell fate and patterning during embryogenesis.

WNTs proteins are extracellular signaling molecules involved in the control of embryonic development. There are at least 2 families of secreted inhibitors of WNT signaling:

- the secreted frizzled-related protein family (as SFRP1; MIM.604156), all of which have an N-terminal cysteine-rich domain and are transmembrane receptors;

- and the Dickkopf (German for ’big head,’ or ’stubborn’) family (as DKK1; MIM. 605189).

Members

WNT1 WNT2 WNT3 WNT4 WNT5A WNT5B WNT6 WNT7A WNT7B WNT8 WNT9 WNT10A WNT10B
WNT11 WNT12 WNT13 WNT14 WNT15 WNT16

Fnctions

Wnt proteins as lipid-linked morphogens

Wnt and Hedgehog family proteins are secreted morphogens that act on surrounding cells to pattern many different tissues in both vertebrates and invertebrates.

The discovery that these proteins are covalently linked to lipids has raised the puzzling problem of how they come to be released from cells and move through tissue.

A synergistic combination of biochemical, cell biological and genetic approaches over the past several years is beginning to illuminate both the forms in which lipid-linked morphogens are released from cells and the variety of molecular and cell biological mechanisms that control their dispersal. (16364628)

Pathology

- WNT7A: germline mutations in

  • absent ulna and fibula with severe limb deficiency (AUFSLD) (or Al-Awadi/Raas-Rothschild/Schinzel phocomelia syndrome) (MIM.276820)
  • Fuhrmann syndrome (MIM.228930)

See also

- Wnt signaling pathway

  • - beta-catenin (CTNNB1)

References

- Hausmann G, Banziger C, Basler K. Helping Wingless take flight: how WNT proteins are secreted. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2007 Apr;8(4):331-6. PMID: 17342185

- Eaton S. Release and trafficking of lipid-linked morphogens. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2006 Feb;16(1):17-22. PMID: 16364628

- Moon RT, Kohn AD, Ferrari GV, Kaykas A. WNT and beta-catenin signalling: diseases and therapies. Nat Rev Genet. 2004 Sep;5(9):691-701. PMID: 15372092

- Tolwinski NS, Wieschaus E. Rethinking WNT signaling. Trends Genet. 2004 Apr;20(4):177-81. PMID: 15041171

- Nusse R. WNT targets. Repression and activation. Trends Genet. 1999 Jan;15(1):1-3. PMID: 10087922

- Moon RT, Brown JD, Torres M. WNTs modulate cell fate and behavior during vertebrate development. Trends Genet. 1997 Apr;13(4):157-62. PMID: 9097727