title: Transgenic reporter tools tracing endogenous canonical Wnt signaling in Xenopus.
abstract: Activation of the canonical Wnt pathway leads to the transcriptional activation of a particular subset of downstream Wnt target genes. To track this localized cellular output in a living organism, reporter constructs can be designed containing multimerized consensus lymphoid enhancer binding factor (LEF)-1/T cell factor (TCF) transcription factor binding sites, generally referred to as TCF optimal promoter (TOP) sites. In Xenopus, several Wnt-responsive reporter systems have been designed containing a number of these TOP sites that, in combination with a minimal promoter, drive the expression of a reporter gene. Following transgenic integration in Xenopus embryos, a Wnt reporter tool reveals the spatiotemporal delineation of endogenous Wnt pathway activities throughout development. Assumed to be a general readout of the Wnt pathway, such reporters can assist in elucidating unknown functional implications in developing Xenopus embryos.
authors.affiliation: Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB and Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tinneke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Denayer
authors.forename: Hong Thi
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vleminckx
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins