title: Wnt/beta-catenin--a canonical tale of cell-fate choice in the vertebrate skeleton.
abstract: Three exciting papers in this issue of Developmental Cell provide new insights into the regulation of chondrocytic, osteoblastic, and osteoclastic differentiation during skeletal development and postnatal growth. The studies demonstrate that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling represents both a mechanism in mesenchymal precursor cells for selecting between chondrocytic and osteoblastic fates as well as a mechanism in osteoblasts for stimulating the production of an inhibitor of osteoclast formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Elona
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kolpakova
authors.forename: Bjorn R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001846:Bone Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020219:Chondrogenesis; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin