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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Determination01:51

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...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

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: May 19, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Wnt signaling in vertebrate axis specification.

Hiroki Hikasa1, Sergei Y Sokol

  • 1Division of Cancer Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|August 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Wnt pathway guides early embryonic development, controlling cell fate and body axis formation in vertebrates. Researchers are identifying specific Wnt signaling branches and targets crucial for axial development.

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Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways
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Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

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Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
08:10

Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients

Published on: December 14, 2015

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways
13:00

Studying Wnt Signaling During Patterning of Conducting Airways

Published on: October 16, 2016

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
12:59

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

Published on: February 28, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The Wnt pathway is a critical signaling cascade involved in embryonic development.
  • It regulates fundamental processes such as cell proliferation, cell fate determination, and body axis specification.
  • Wnt signaling plays distinct roles in early embryogenesis, including dorsoventral and anteroposterior axis formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding Wnt signaling during vertebrate axial development.
  • To highlight the discrimination of different Wnt signaling branches.
  • To identify specific Wnt pathway targets involved in axial patterning.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on Wnt signaling in vertebrate embryogenesis.
  • Analysis of studies focusing on Xenopus and zebrafish models.
  • Examination of gene expression and functional studies related to Wnt targets.

Main Results:

  • Wnt pathway components are essential for establishing the dorsoventral axis early in development.
  • Distinct sets of Wnt target genes regulate anteroposterior axis specification later in embryogenesis.
  • Progress has been made in differentiating specific Wnt signaling branches and their targets.

Conclusions:

  • Wnt signaling exhibits stage-specific and context-dependent roles in vertebrate axial development.
  • Understanding these distinct roles and targets is key to deciphering developmental processes.
  • Further research can elucidate the precise mechanisms of Wnt-mediated axis formation.