Biochemistry and Molecular Mechanisms of Wingless Action.
Abstract
The Drosophila gene wingless, and its vertebrate homologue the proto-oncogene Wnt-1, encode extracellular signalling molecules that regulate differentiation and cell proliferation. During year one of our grant, we have made significant progress towards understanding the biochemical mechanisms by which the wingless signal is transmitted from cell to cell. Our work has shown that wingless protein (WG) is post-translationally modified by the addition of an N-linked glycosylation group. Once secreted, most of the extracellular WG is actually tethered to the cell surface and extracellular matrix. Several lines of evidence suggest that this association may occur via interactions with cell surface heparan sulfate molecules. Furthermore, interactions with these heparan sulfate groups can modulate the activity of the WG signal.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 27, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA305797
Entities
People
- Susan Cumberledge
Organizations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst