Non-canonical WNT signalling in the lung.
The role of WNT signalling in metazoan organogenesis has been a topic of widespread interest. In the lung, while the role of canonical WNT signalling has been examined in some detail by multiple studies, the non-canonical WNT signalling has received limited attention. Reliable evidence shows that this important signalling mechanism constitutes a major regulatory pathway in lung development. In addition, accumulating evidence has also shown that the non-canonical WNT pathway is critical for maintaining lung homeostasis and that aberrant activation of this pathway may underlie several debilitating lung diseases. Functional analyses have further revealed that the non-canonical WNT pathway regulates multiple cellular activities in the lung that are dependent on the specific cellular context. In most cell types, non-canonical WNT signalling regulates canonical WNT activity, which is also critical for many aspects of lung biology. This review will summarize what is currently known about the role of non-canonical WNT signalling in lung development, homeostasis and pathogenesis of disease.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center and Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; changgon@usc.edu.
Changgong
C
Li
Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary System (ECCPS), D-35392 Giessen, Hessen, Germany; Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Department of Internal Medicine II, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), D-35390 Giessen, Hessen, Germany; Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Saban Research Institute of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; and.
Saverio
S
Bellusci
Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Will Rogers Institute Pulmonary Research Center, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Zea
Z
Borok
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Newborn Medicine, Los Angeles County+University of Southern California Medical Center and Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA;
Parviz
P
Minoo
D000818:Animals; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D038081:Organogenesis; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway
WNT; development; lung; non-canonical