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Related Concept Videos

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

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 Pathway02:54

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 Pathways01:41

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 Pathways01:41

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...
Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when presynaptic neurons...
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Wnt signaling during synaptic development and plasticity.

Vivian Budnik1, Patricia C Salinas

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. vivian.budnik@umassmed.edu

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|January 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Wnt proteins are crucial for synaptic connections, guiding the assembly of neuronal communication. They also mediate activity-dependent changes in mature synapses, impacting growth and function.

More Related Videos

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
11:14

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices
07:44

Evaluation of Synapse Density in Hippocampal Rodent Brain Slices

Published on: October 6, 2017

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro
11:14

Modeling Paracrine Noncanonical Wnt Signaling In Vitro

Published on: December 10, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Synaptic connections require coordinated pre- and postsynaptic development.
  • Wnt proteins are key signaling molecules in this trans-synaptic dialogue.
  • Wnt signaling is essential for synaptic assembly at neuromuscular junctions and central synapses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on Wnt signaling at the synapse.
  • To explore the link between Wnt signaling and activity-dependent synaptic growth and function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on Wnt signaling in synaptic plasticity.
  • Analysis of research on Wnt protein expression and Frizzled receptor localization.
  • Examination of Wnt-mediated synaptic changes in response to neuronal activity.

Main Results:

  • Wnt proteins promote synaptic assembly in developing neurons.
  • Neuronal activity regulates Wnt protein expression and Frizzled receptor localization.
  • Wnt signaling mediates synaptic modifications induced by patterned neuronal activity and sensory experience in mature neurons.

Conclusions:

  • Wnt signaling plays a vital role in both the initial formation and activity-dependent remodeling of synapses.
  • Understanding Wnt function is critical for comprehending synaptic plasticity and neuronal communication.