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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...

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...

Determination

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

A direct role for Wnt8 in ventrolateral mesoderm patterning.

Kevin D Baker¹, Marie-Christine Ramel, Arne C Lekven

¹Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3258, USA.

Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists

|September 17, 2010

Summary

Wnt8 signaling independently controls vertebrate development by repressing prechordal plate specification and promoting posterior mesoderm expansion. This study clarifies Wnt8

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Published on: October 16, 2016

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:

Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Vertebrate dorsoventral patterning relies on Wnt8 and Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling pathways.
Interactions between Wnt8 and BMP signaling complicate the determination of Wnt8's specific functions.
Wnt8 can influence BMP signaling indirectly by repressing the dorsal organizer, making isolated Wnt8 roles difficult to ascertain.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the specific roles of Wnt8 signaling independent of BMP signaling in vertebrate development.
To differentiate the functions of Wnt8 and BMP in establishing embryonic patterning and cell population expansion.

Main Methods:

Utilized a loss-of-function approach in zebrafish embryos.
Generated embryos lacking both Wnt8 and Chordin (a BMP antagonist) to rescue BMP signaling.
Analyzed the effects on prechordal plate and notochord specification, tailbud progenitor formation, and posterior mesoderm development.

Main Results:

Wnt8 loss-of-function embryos with rescued BMP signaling revealed Wnt8's unique role in repressing prechordal plate specification.
Wnt8 is not essential for notochord specification.
Wnt8 signaling is required for the normal expansion of posterior mesoderm cell populations, but not for tailbud progenitor specification.

Conclusions:

Wnt8 and BMP signaling pathways play distinct and independent roles in vertebrate ventrolateral mesoderm development.
Loss-of-function analysis, by manipulating both pathways, is crucial for dissecting their specific contributions.
This study provides a clearer understanding of Wnt8's specific functions in embryonic patterning and mesoderm development.