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Polarized Translocation of Fluorescent Proteins in Xenopus Ectoderm in Response to Wnt Signaling
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Published on: May 26, 2011

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Xenopus Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 Are Two New Tyrosine Kinases Involved in the Regulation of JNK Dependent Wnt/PCP Signaling

Marta Vitorino1, Ana Cristina Silva2, José Manuel Inácio3

  • 1Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal; Center for Biomedical Research (CBMR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal.

Plos One
|August 14, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Two new Protein Kinase Domain Containing, Cytoplasmic (PKDCC) family members, Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2, regulate early vertebrate development. They are involved in neural tube closure and modulate the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Protein Kinase Domain Containing, Cytoplasmic (PKDCC) is linked to bone growth but its mechanism is unclear.
  • The Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway controls tissue polarity and cell movement during vertebrate development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize new PKDCC family members in Xenopus laevis.
  • To investigate the role of these new PKDCC members in early embryonic development and Wnt/PCP signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 in Xenopus laevis.
  • Knockdown experiments to assess developmental roles.
  • Analysis of Dvl recruitment and Atf2 promoter activity.
  • Investigation of Wnt/PCP pathway regulation.

Main Results:

  • Two novel PKDCC family members, Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2, were identified.
  • Both Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 are crucial for blastopore and neural tube closure.
  • They differentially regulate Wnt/PCP signaling components, including Dvl recruitment and Atf2 expression.
  • Pkdcc1 promotes Atf2 expression, while Pkdcc2 inhibits it.

Conclusions:

  • PKDCC family members play a significant role in early vertebrate development.
  • Pkdcc1 and Pkdcc2 are regulators of the JNK-dependent Wnt/PCP signaling pathway.
  • These findings reveal novel functions for PKDCC proteins in embryonic morphogenesis.

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