Control of Wnt5b secretion by Wntless modulates chondrogenic cell proliferation through fine-tuning fgf3 expression.
Wnts and Fgfs regulate various tissues development in vertebrates. However, how regional Wnt or Fgf activities are established and how they interact in any given developmental event is elusive. Here, we investigated the Wnt-mediated craniofacial cartilage development in zebrafish and found that fgf3 expression in the pharyngeal pouches is differentially reduced along the anteroposterior axis in wnt5b mutants and wntless (wls) morphants, but its expression is normal in wnt9a and wnt11 morphants. Introducing fgf3 mRNAs rescued the cartilage defects in Wnt5b- and Wls-deficient larvae. In wls morphants, endogenous Wls expression is not detectable but maternally deposited Wls is present in eggs, which might account for the lack of axis defects in wls morphants. Secretion of endogenous Wnt5b but not Wnt11 was affected in the pharyngeal tissue of Wls morphants, indicating that Wls is not involved in every Wnt secretion event. Furthermore, cell proliferation but not apoptosis in the developing jaw was affected in Wnt5b- and Wls-deficient embryos. Therefore, Wnt5b requires Wls for its secretion and regulates the proliferation of chondrogenic cells through fine-tuning the expression of fgf3 during jaw cartilage development.
Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
Bo-Tsung
BT
Wu
Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
Shih-Hsien
SH
Wen
Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
Sheng-Ping L
SP
Hwang
Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.
Chang-Jen
CJ
Huang
Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan Center for System Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan yskuan@ntu.edu.tw.
Yung-Shu
YS
Kuan
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002356:Cartilage / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020219:Chondrogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development; D051518:Fibroblast Growth Factor 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D060172:Morpholinos / Q000494:pharmacology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D051518:Fibroblast Growth Factor 3; D060172:Morpholinos; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D000071818:Wnt-5a Protein; C480282:Wnt5a protein, zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C489200:fgf3 protein, zebrafish; C555405:wls protein, zebrafish
Chondrogenesis; Fgf3; Wnt secretion; Wnt5b; Wntless