title: Isolation and characterization of Wnt pathway-related genes from Porifera.
abstract: The Wnt signal acts by binding to Frizzled receptors, with the subsequent activation of two different signal transduction cascades, the canonical and the non-canonical Wnt pathways, involved in cell growth, differentiation, migration and fate. The canonical pathway functions through the translocation of beta-catenin to the nucleus and the activation of TCF/LEF transcription factors; it plays an important role in developmental patterning and cell fate decisions during embryogenesis. The non-canonical Wnt pathway is responsible for the planar cell polarity process in invertebrates, and for the convergent-extension movements during vertebrate gastrulation. The final effect of the non-canonical Wnt pathway is the rearrangement of the cell cytoskeleton, through the activation of the subfamily of Ras-like small GTPases. In a recent report we described for the first time the isolation of a Wnt-related gene, Sd-Frizzled, from the most basal animal phylum, the Porifera. In the present study we report the isolation and phylogenetic characterization of several Wnt pathway-related genes from the sponge Suberites domuncula: Sd-TCF/LEF, Sd-GSK3, a recently discovered molecule with a putative function as a Wnt regulator (Sd-LZIC), the small Rho GTPases Sd-RhoA, Sd-Cdc42, and their effector Sd-mrlc. Also the isolation of a secreted frizzled related protein sFRP from another sponge species (Lubomirskia baicalensis) is reported.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Universität, Duesbergweg 6, D-55099 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adell
authors.forename: Archana N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.forename: Werner E G
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051157:Frizzled Receptors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011161:Porifera / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D051157:Frizzled Receptors; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein