The multiple phases and faces of wnt signaling during cardiac differentiation and development.
Understanding heart development on a molecular level is a prerequisite for uncovering the causes of congenital heart diseases. Therapeutic approaches that try to enhance cardiac regeneration or that involve the differentiation of resident cardiac progenitor cells or patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells will also benefit tremendously from this knowledge. Wnt proteins have been shown to play multiple roles during cardiac differentiation and development. They are extracellular growth factors that activate different intracellular signaling branches. Here, we summarize our current understanding of how these factors affect different aspects of cardiogenesis, starting from early specification of cardiac progenitors and continuing on to later developmental steps, such as morphogenetic processes, valve formation, and establishment of the conduction system.
Gessert
Susanne
S
Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
Kühl
Michael
M
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D019070:Cell Lineage; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000378:metabolism; D038081:Organogenesis; D010496:Pericardium / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin