Investigation of Frizzled-5 during embryonic neural development in mouse

Recent studies revealed that the Wnt receptor Frizzled-5 (Fzd5) is required for eye and retina development in zebrafish and Xenopus, however, its role during mammalian eye development is unknown. In the mouse embryo, Fzd5 is prominently expressed in the pituitary, distal optic vesicle, and optic stalk, then later in the progenitor zone of the developing retina. To elucidate the role of Fzd5 during eye development, we analyzed embryos with a germline disruption of the Fzd5 gene at E10.25, just before embryos die due to defects in yolk sac angiogenesis. We observed severe defects in optic cup morphogenesis and lens development. However, in embryos with conditional inactivation of Fzd5 using Six3-Cre, we observed no obvious early eye defects. Analysis of Axin2 mRNA expression and TCF/LEF-responsive reporter activation demonstrate that Fzd5 does not regulate the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in the eye. Thus, the function of Fzd5 during eye development appears to be species-dependent.