title: Xenopus frizzled 7 can act in canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways: implications on early patterning and morphogenesis.
abstract: Here we report the cloning of a Xenopus frizzled transmembrane receptor, Xfz7, and describe its expression pattern during early embryogenesis. Xfz7 mRNA is provided maternally and zygotic transcription peaks in gastrula stages. At that time, transcripts are preferentially localized to the marginal zone and become restricted to distinct regions of the tadpoles in tailbud stages. Overexpression of Xfz7 in embryos perturbs the morphogenesis of trunk and tail, blocks convergence-extension movements in animal caps induced with activin and dorsal lip explants and decreases cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. Xfz7 can interact specifically with Xwnt-8b and signal in the canonical, dorsalizing Wnt pathway. Overexpression of Xfz7 does not trigger the Wnt-1-type pathway but acts in a non-canonical Wnt or morphogenetic-effector pathway involving the activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Xfz7 seems to be involved in different aspects of Wnt signaling during the course of embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reintsch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steinbeisser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013623:Tail / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
chemical_list: C492040:Fzd7 protein, Xenopus; D006023:Glycoproteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C495249:WNT1 protein, Xenopus; C555581:WNT4 protein, human; C085389:WNT5A protein, human; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D060528:Wnt4 Protein; C555584:Wnt4 protein, Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C512785:wnt11b protein, Xenopus