Wnt signaling: an essential regulator of cardiovascular differentiation, morphogenesis and progenitor self-renewal.
Emerging evidence indicates that Wnt signaling regulates crucial aspects of cardiovascular biology (including cardiac morphogenesis, and the self-renewal and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells). The ability of Wnt signaling to regulate such diverse aspects of cardiovascular development rests on the multifarious downstream and tangential targets affected by this pathway. Here, we discuss the roles for Wnt signaling in cardiac and vascular development, and focus on the emerging role of Wnt signaling in cardiovascular morphogenesis and progenitor cell self-renewal.
Cohen
Ethan David
ED
Cardiovascular Institute, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Tian
Ying
Y
Morrisey
Edward E
EE
D000818:Animals; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D051153:Wnt Proteins