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Wnt/PCP Instructions for Cilia in Left-Right Asymmetry
1Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1020, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Developmental Cell
|March 16, 2017
Summary
Wnt5a/b gradients instructively regulate polarized cilia positioning, a crucial step for establishing left-right asymmetry in mouse embryos. This finding clarifies the role of Wnt signaling in developmental processes.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Signaling
- Embryogenesis
Background:
- Wnt-Frizzled/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling is known to orient cells within epithelial layers.
- The precise role of Wnt signaling, whether instructive or permissive, in this process remains under investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the instructive role of Wnt5a/b signaling in establishing cell polarity.
- To determine the link between Wnt signaling, cilia positioning, and left-right asymmetry in mouse embryos.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Wnt5a/b gradients in developing mouse embryos.
- Investigation of planar cell polarity (PCP) factor regulation.
- Assessment of polarized cilia positioning and its impact on embryonic asymmetry.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated an instructive signaling pathway from Wnt5a/b gradients to PCP factors.
- Showcased that this pathway regulates polarized cilia positioning.
- Confirmed the essential role of this mechanism in establishing mouse embryo left-right asymmetry.
Conclusions:
- Wnt5a/b signaling acts instructively, not just permissively, in regulating cell polarity.
- Properly positioned cilia, regulated by Wnt-PCP signaling, are critical for establishing embryonic left-right asymmetry.
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