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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...

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...

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...

Catenins

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...

Chemical Synapses

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Wnt4 is a local repulsive cue that determines synaptic target specificity.

Mikiko Inaki¹, Shingo Yoshikawa, John B Thomas

¹Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.

Current Biology : CB

|September 4, 2007

Summary

Wnt4 acts as a repulsive cue, preventing motor neurons from forming synapses on incorrect muscle targets. This finding highlights the crucial role of local repulsion in achieving precise neural wiring.

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Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

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Published on: December 14, 2015

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Understanding synaptic specificity is key to neuroscience.
While attractive cues are known, repulsive cues' roles are less understood.
Investigating molecular mechanisms guiding motor neuron targeting.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify molecular cues that dictate synaptic specificity between neighboring muscles.
To elucidate the role of repulsive cues in motor neuron targeting.

Main Methods:

Single-cell microarray analysis of Drosophila embryonic muscles M12 and M13.
Functional inhibition of Wnt4 pathway components (Wnt4, Frizzled 2, Derailed-2, Dishevelled).
Ectopic gene expression studies in Drosophila.

Main Results:

Wnt4 identified as an M13-enriched cue.
Inhibiting Wnt4 signaling caused motor neurons to form ectopic synapses on M13.
Ectopic Wnt4 expression in M12 inhibited motor neuron synapse formation.
Other M13-enriched genes (beat-IIIc, Glutactin) also mediated repulsion.

Conclusions:

Wnt4, mediated by Frizzled 2, Derailed-2, and Dishevelled, acts as a repulsive cue.
Local repulsion plays a critical role in establishing target specificity for motor neurons.
This study reveals a novel mechanism for precise neural circuit formation.