Pathophysiological aspects of Wnt-signaling in endocrine disease.
Wnt-signaling has recently been identified as a regulator of a number of endocrine functions in health and disease in addition to its original attribution to developmental biology. Wnts are extracellular ligands on frizzled receptors and on lipoprotein receptor-related protein co-receptors. Ligand binding leads eventually to the activation of intracellular signaling cascades; based on the involvement of the transcriptional co-activator beta-catenin it can be distinguished between canonical (i.e. beta-catenin) and non-canonical Wnt-signaling. Recent studies revealed that canonical Wnt-signaling regulates the function of endocrine organs and contributes to a number of endocrine disorders. In this review, we would like to focus on a) recent mechanistic data on Wnts in pancreatic beta-cell function; b) human genetic studies on Wnt signaling in type 2 diabetes mellitus; c) crosstalk between adipocytes and endocrine cells through Wnt-signaling molecules (with a focus on the role of Wnt-signaling in adrenocortical cells).
Schinner
Sven
S
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Rheumatology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. sven.schinner@uni-duesseldorf.de
Willenberg
Holger S
HS
Schott
Matthias
M
Scherbaum
Werner A
WA
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005826:Genetics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
D051153:Wnt Proteins