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Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways

Wnt is a zygotic effect gene that is expressed during very early embryonic development. It regulates various processes in animals starting from early development through the adult stage, such as organogenesis in the embryo and maintenance of neuronal and blood stem cells. Wnt proteins can induce a wide variety of intracellular pathways depending upon the specific abilities of different Wnt ligands to form a complex with shared and cognate receptors in the presence of different co-receptors. The...

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay

Published on: October 27, 2014

Wnt gradient formation requires retromer function in Wnt-producing cells.

Damien Y M Coudreuse¹, Giulietta Roël, Marco C Betist

¹Hubrecht Laboratory and Center for Biomedical Genetics, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|April 29, 2006

Summary

The retromer complex is essential for Wnt protein long-range signaling in development. This protein trafficking machinery enables Wnt gradient formation, a conserved mechanism crucial for tissue patterning.

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Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay

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Published on: October 27, 2014

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

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Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Wnt proteins are crucial morphogens that establish concentration gradients for tissue patterning.
Intracellular protein trafficking plays a role in morphogen signaling, but its specific involvement in Wnt gradient formation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of the retromer complex in the long-range signaling of Wnt proteins.
To determine if the retromer's function in Wnt signaling is conserved across species.

Main Methods:

Utilized Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study Wnt signaling.
Investigated the function of the retromer complex in EGL-20 (Wnt ortholog) producing cells.
Examined Wnt target gene expression in both C. elegans and vertebrate models.

Main Results:

The retromer complex is required for the formation of long-range EGL-20 concentration gradients along the anteroposterior axis in C. elegans.
The retromer functions within the EGL-20-producing cells to facilitate gradient establishment.
Impairment of Wnt target gene expression was observed in vertebrates lacking the retromer complex, indicating evolutionary conservation.

Conclusions:

The retromer complex plays a critical and conserved role in enabling Wnt proteins to signal over long distances.
Proper Wnt-mediated long-range patterning is dependent on the retromer's function in Wnt-producing cells.
This finding highlights a novel mechanism linking intracellular trafficking to developmental patterning.