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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...

Nervous Tissue: Myelin

Nervous Tissue: Myelin

The myelin sheath is a multilayered lipid and protein covering that insulates the axon of a neuron, enhancing the speed of nerve impulse conduction. Axons without this sheath are referred to as unmyelinated. Two types of neuroglia, Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for producing myelin sheaths.
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...

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 22, 2026

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Published on: October 16, 2016

Modulating myelination: knowing when to say Wnt.

Sheila S Rosenberg¹, Jonah R Chan

¹Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.

Genes & Development

|July 3, 2009

Summary

Canonical Wnt signaling guides oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation for nervous system development and repair after demyelination. This pathway is crucial for coordinating myelination and nervous system architecture.

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Production and Use of Lentivirus to Selectively Transduce Primary Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells for In Vitro Myelination Assays

Production and Use of Lentivirus to Selectively Transduce Primary Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells for In Vitro Myelination Assays

Published on: January 12, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Published on: October 16, 2016

Production and Use of Lentivirus to Selectively Transduce Primary Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells for In Vitro Myelination Assays

Production and Use of Lentivirus to Selectively Transduce Primary Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells for In Vitro Myelination Assays

Published on: January 12, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Nervous system development relies on oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) differentiating and forming myelin.
OPCs integrate extrinsic and intrinsic cues to activate transcriptional programs for myelination.
Understanding OPC differentiation is key to addressing developmental disorders and demyelinating diseases.

Discussion:

Fancy and colleagues reveal the role of canonical Wnt signaling in OPC differentiation.
This signaling pathway is active during both initial nervous system development and in response to demyelination.
Canonical Wnt signaling influences the decision-making process of OPCs.

Key Insights:

Canonical Wnt signaling is a critical regulator of oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation.
The findings highlight the importance of Wnt signaling in both developmental myelination and remyelination after injury.
This study provides a deeper understanding of the spatiotemporal coordination governing OPC fate.

Outlook:

Further research can explore therapeutic strategies targeting Wnt signaling for promoting myelin repair.
Investigating the precise molecular mechanisms downstream of Wnt signaling in OPCs is warranted.
This work opens avenues for understanding how environmental cues influence neural development and regeneration.