title: Flamingo, a cadherin-type receptor involved in the Drosophila planar polarity pathway, can block signaling via the canonical wnt pathway in Xenopus laevis.
abstract: The Flamingo gene encodes a seven-pass transmembrane receptor of the cadherin super family and is one of a growing number of components identified as being necessary for the establishment of planar polarity in the Drosophila wing. Although vertebrate homologues of Flamingo have been identified in both man and mice, no function has as yet been ascribed to them. Here, we report the cloning of the Xenopus homologue of Flamingo (XFmi). XFmi is expressed in the dorsal ectoderm during gastrulation and in the forebrain and midbrain subsequently. We show that ectopic expression of the murine Flamingo gene can prevent the wnt mediated posteriorisation of the neural plate by interfering with the canonical wnt signalling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London U.K. rmorgan@sghms.ac.uk
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Ali-Morsi
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: El-Kadi
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theokli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C498481:CELSR2 protein, Xenopus; C498477:CELSR2 protein, human; C495266:CTNNB1 protein, Xenopus; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; C498478:Celsr2 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C121420:stan protein, Drosophila