Abstract
Cell-cell communication via Wnt signals represents a fundamental means by which animal development and homeostasis are controlled. The identification of components of the Wnt pathway is reaching saturation for the transduction process in receiving cells but is incomplete concerning the events occurring in Wnt-secreting cells. Here, we describe the discovery of a novel Wnt pathway component, Wntless (Wls/Evi), and show that it is required for Wingless-dependent patterning processes in Drosophila, for MOM-2-governed polarization of blastomeres in C. elegans, and for Wnt3a-mediated communication between cultured human cells. In each of these cases, Wls is acting in the Wnt-sending cells to promote the secretion of Wnt proteins. Since loss of Wls function has no effect on other signaling pathways yet appears to impede all the Wnt signals we analyzed, we propose that Wls represents an ancient partner for Wnts dedicated to promoting their secretion into the extracellular milieu.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Blastomeres / cytology
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Blastomeres / metabolism
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Body Patterning / physiology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / embryology
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Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism
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Cell Communication / physiology
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Cell Polarity / physiology
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Conserved Sequence
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DNA, Complementary / analysis
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DNA, Complementary / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / genetics
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Drosophila Proteins / isolation & purification
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Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
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Drosophila melanogaster / embryology*
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Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
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Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
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Evolution, Molecular
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Female
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Humans
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Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
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Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / isolation & purification
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Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
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Male
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Membrane Proteins / genetics
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Membrane Proteins / isolation & purification
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Signal Transduction / physiology*
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Wnt Proteins / genetics
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Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
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Wnt3 Protein
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Wnt3A Protein
Substances
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Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
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DNA, Complementary
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Drosophila Proteins
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Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
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Membrane Proteins
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WNT3A protein, human
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Wls protein, Drosophila
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Wnt Proteins
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Wnt3 Protein
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Wnt3A Protein
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mom-1 protein, C elegans
Associated data
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GENBANK/DQ305404
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GENBANK/DQ323735