Wnt-3 and Wnt-3a play different region-specific roles in neural crest development in avians.
Wnt signalling regulates cell proliferation and cell fate determination during embryogenesis. However, little is known about the developmental role of one Wnt family member, Wnt-3, during avian development. To investigate the possible functions of Wnt-3, its expression pattern was determined using whole-mount in situ hybridization. Wnt-3 is expressed in important signalling centres, including the dorsal neural tube, Hensen's node and the AER (apical ectodermal ridge). Most interestingly, Wnt-3 is expressed in the dorsal neural tube as a gradient, with the strongest expression anterior in the trunk. Furthermore, this study showed that Wnt-3 and Wnt-3a play a different role in neural crest lineages derived from different axial level of neural tube. Wnt-3 might be involved in proliferation of neural crest lineages, whereas Wnt-3a plays an important role in melanogenesis in vagal. However, both Wnt-3 and Wnt-3a cause a significant increase in melanogenesis in the trunk neural crest lineage.
Dongkyun
Kim
K
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chunbuk 570749, Korea.
Jinsoo
Song
S
Jin
Eun-Jung
EJ
D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003370:Coturnix; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060508:Wnt3 Protein
D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060508:Wnt3 Protein