Wnt signaling is a critical regulator of bone development, but the identity and role of the Wnt-producing cells are still unclear. We addressed these questions through in situ hybridization, lineage tracing, and genetic experiments. First, we surveyed the expression of all 19 Wnt genes and Wnt target gene Axin2 in the neonatal mouse bone by in situ hybridization, and demonstrated--to our knowle...

Inhibitors of Wnt signaling promote normal development and prevent cancer by restraining when and where the Wnt pathway is activated. ROR proteins, a class of Wnt-binding receptor tyrosine kinases, inhibit Wnt signaling by an unknown mechanism. To clarify how RORs inhibit the Wnt pathway, we examined the relationship between Wnts and the sole C. elegans ROR homolog, cam-1, during C. elegans vul...

β-Catenin independent, non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways play a major role in the regulation of morphogenetic movements in vertebrates. The term non-canonical Wnt signaling comprises multiple, intracellularly divergent, Wnt-activated and β-Catenin independent signaling cascades including the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity and the Wnt/Ca(2+) cascades. Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity and Wnt/Ca(2+) pathway...

Retinoic acid and Wnt/β-catenin signals play important roles during neuronal differentiation but less is known about noncanonical Wnt signals in this context. We examined retinoic acid and Wnt signaling in two human embryonal carcinoma cell lines, NTERA-2 (clone D1), which undergoes neuronal differentiation in response to retinoic acid, and 2102Ep, which does not. Retinoic acid treatment inhibi...

Wnt canonical signaling pathway plays a diverse role in embryonic development and maintenance of organs and tissues in adults. It has been observed that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of many carcinomas. Moreover, Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been revealed to be associated with angiogenesis. Wnt canonical pathway signaling has great potential as a therapeutic targe...

Cell-cell communication is critical during embryogenesis for organizing the vertebrate body plan. Members of the Wnt family of secreted signaling molecules possess axis-inducing and posteriorizing activity when overexpressed. Wnt signals are modulated extracellularly by a diverse group of secreted Wnt antagonists and cofactors. Recent work has revealed that inhibition of posteriorly localized W...

There are several signalling pathways involved in lung organogenesis including Notch, TGFbeta/BMP, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), FGF, EGF, and Wnt. Despite the widely acknowledged significance of Wnt signalling in embryonic lung development, the role of different Wnt pathways in lung pathologies has been slow to emerge. In this review, we will present a synopsis of current Wnt research with particular ...

Carboxypeptidase Z (CPZ) removes carboxyl-terminal basic amino acid residues, particularly arginine residues, from proteins. CPZ contains a cysteine-rich domain (CRD) similar to the CRD found in the frizzled family of Wnt receptors. We have previously shown that thyroid hormone regulates terminal differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes through activation of Wnt-4 expression and Wnt/beta-ca...

The role of oxidized high-density lipoprotein (oxHDL) and the protective effects of adiponectin in terms of vascular calcification is not well established. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of oxHDL with regards to inflammation and vascular calcification and to determine the protective role of adiponectin in attenuating the detrimental effects of oxHDL. Cell viability, mineral...

Objective(s): To investigate and test the hypotheses that TGF-β1 enhanced myocardial differentiation through Wnt/β-catenin pathway with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).Materials and Methods: Lentiviral vectors carrying the TGF-β1 gene were transduced into rat BMSCs firstly. Then several kinds of experimental methods were u...