title: A role for Drosophila Wnt-4 in heart development.
abstract: In vertebrates, different Wnt-signaling pathways are required in a temporally coordinated manner to promote cardiogenesis. In Drosophila, wingless holds an essential role in heart development. Among the known Drosophila Wnts is DWnt4, the function of which has been studied in various developmental processes except for heart development. We re-evaluated the expression pattern of DWnt4 during embryogenesis and show that transcripts are not restricted to the dorsal ectoderm but are also present in the cardiogenic mesoderm. Moreover, we detect DWnt4 mRNA transcripts in myocardial cells by stage 16. The heart phenotype in DWnt4 mutant embryos is characterized by various degrees of disrupted expression of different cardiac markers. Overexpression of Dwnt4 also affects heart marker expression, which can be partially rescued by simultaneous inhibition of PKC. Our data reveal a role for DWnt4 in cardiogenesis; however, integration of DWnt4 with other known signaling pathways that function in heart development still awaits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biochemie und Molekulare Biologie, Universität Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tauc
authors.forename: Tabea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pandur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D060528:Wnt4 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D060528:Wnt4 Protein