Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
11:14
Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
Published on: December 10, 2021
The function and evolution of Wnt genes in arthropods
Sophie Murat1, Corinna Hopfen, Alistair P McGregor
1Institut für Populationsgenetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna, Austria.
Arthropod Structure & Development
|August 6, 2010
Summary
Wnt signaling genes are crucial for development, but many have been lost in insects. Studying a broader range of arthropods is key to understanding Wnt gene evolution and function.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Wnt signaling pathways regulate fundamental metazoan developmental processes.
- Thirteen Wnt ligand subfamilies exist, with ancient origins in metazoan evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the Wnt gene repertoire across diverse arthropods.
- To compare Wnt ligand expression and function in insects versus other arthropods.
- To understand the evolutionary trajectory of Wnt genes in arthropods.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of Wnt gene repertoires in arthropods.
- Comparative analysis of Wnt gene expression and function data.
- Examination of Wnt gene loss patterns in insect lineages.
Main Results:
- Insects exhibit significant Wnt gene subfamily loss (e.g., Wnt3, Wnt7).
- Drosophila and Acyrthosiphon have fewer Wnt genes (7 and 6) compared to Tribolium (9).
- Ancestral arthropods likely possessed a larger Wnt gene repertoire.
Conclusions:
- Wnt gene studies offer insights into developmental roles but are limited by gene loss in insects.
- Further research across a wider range of arthropods is necessary to fully elucidate Wnt gene function and evolution.
- The derived development of Drosophila necessitates broader comparative studies.
Related Concept Videos
02:54Canonical 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...
02:54Canonical 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...
01:41Non-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...
01:41Non-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...
03:14Notch 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...
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...
01:33Whole Body Regeneration
Regeneration is the process of restoring injured or lost tissues, organs, or body parts. While simpler organisms generally show greater ability to regenerate their whole body, few complex animals show similarly exceptional regeneration. For example, planarian flatworms have a unique regenerative potential making them a popular study organism among biologists to understand the mechanisms of whole body regeneration. Other organisms, such as hydra, also show extreme regeneration potential; even...