Wnts as morphogens? The view from the wing of Drosophila.
Morphogens are diffusible signalling molecules that pattern cellular fields by setting up differential gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Members of the Wnt family of signalling molecules are generally considered to be classical morphogens. However, a close analysis of their activity indicates that they do not fulfil all of the critera that are associated with the classical definition.
Martinez Arias
Alfonso
A
Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK. ama11@cus.cam.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000196:embryology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins