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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...

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...

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...

Notch Signaling Pathway

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Rapid activity-dependent modifications in synaptic structure and function require bidirectional Wnt signaling.

Bulent Ataman¹, James Ashley, Michael Gorczyca

¹Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.

|March 18, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Synaptic activity triggers Wnt/Wg signaling in Drosophila, remodeling synapse structure and function. This bidirectional pathway involves presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms, regulating synaptic development and plasticity.

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Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

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Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Activity-dependent synapse modifications are crucial for neural development and plasticity.
The precise signaling mechanisms driving these structural and functional changes remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the signaling pathways mediating rapid activity-dependent structural and functional changes at glutamatergic Drosophila neuromuscular junctions.
To elucidate the role of Wnt/Wingless (Wg) signaling in activity-induced synaptic remodeling.

Main Methods:

Utilized patterned stimulation of Drosophila neuromuscular junctions to induce activity-dependent changes.
Investigated the involvement of transcription, translation, and Wnt/Wg signaling components (e.g., DFz2, GSK-3beta/Shaggy).
Analyzed structural changes (filopodia formation, varicosity elaboration) and functional changes (spontaneous release frequency).

Main Results:

Patterned stimulation induced rapid structural and functional plasticity at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions.
These changes, dependent on transcription and translation, included presynaptic filopodia formation and increased spontaneous release.
A bidirectional Wnt/Wg signaling pathway was identified, activated by synaptic activity.
Evoked activity led to Wnt1/Wg release, activating both postsynaptic (DFz2 import) and presynaptic (GSK-3beta/Shaggy) pathways.

Conclusions:

Bidirectional Wnt/Wg signaling operates downstream of synaptic activity to modify synapse structure and function.
Postsynaptic Wnt/Wg pathway activation is essential for postsynaptic apparatus assembly.
Presynaptic Wnt/Wg pathway activation regulates cytoskeletal dynamics, contributing to synaptic plasticity.