title: Wnt-3 and Wnt-3a play different region-specific roles in neural crest development in avians.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chunbuk 570749, Korea.
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Dongkyun
authors: Song
authors: S
authors: Jinsoo
authors: Eun-Jung
authors: EJ
authors: Jin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D060508:Wnt3 Protein