Identification of the Receptor of the Wnt-1 Signaling Molecule
Abstract
The Wnt ligands play crucial roles in mammary tumorigenesis and embryonic development. The frizzled family of receptors has been shown to be capable of transducing the Wnt signal suggesting that a frizzled protein may encode for the receptor for Wnt-1. In experiments to determine the receptor for Wnt- I, two frizzled proteins have been elucidated which may serve as the Wnt- 1 receptor suggesting redundancy in this signalling cascade. Experiments to attempt to identify molecules that interact with dishevelled, a downstream effector, in an effort to understand the transduction of the Wnt signaling has yielded a novel component termed Daam-1. Daam-1 provides a crucial link in the Wnt-1 signal cascade which activate the small GTPase RhoA to mediate cytoskeletal changes and a fundamental link to the non-canonical Wnt pathway termed the Planar Polarity Pathway. Interference with Daam1 function during Xenopus embryogenesis blocks Wnt/PCP but not Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling, and inhibits morphogenetic cell movements. These studies suggest Wnt-1 function may be mediated by Rho activation in addition to Beta-catenin and indeed, Wnt-1 cell transformation is always accompanied by cell shape changes that are often associated with the Rho function. Daam-1 function may provide an important mechanism by which Wnt- 1 mediates mammary transformation and tumorigenesis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391405
Entities
People
- Raymond Habas
- Xi He