The designation 'Wnt' was derived from two drosophila phenotypes 'wingless' and 'int'. The Wnt gene was first defined as a protooncogene, int1. Humans have at least 4 Wnt genes: Wnt7a gene is at 3p25 encoding a 349aa secreted glycoprotein. A patterning switch with different roles in different tissues.Wnt7a is secreted protein and binds to extracellular matrix. The mechanism of Wnt distribution (free diffusion, restricted diffusion and active transport) and all its possible cell receptors are still being determined. There is at least one WNT receptor called Frizzled (FZD). The Frizzled gene family encodes a seven-transmembrane receptor.
If you are interested in this family of proteins, look also at the WWW page by Roel Nusse called the Wnt gene Homepage. (More? see list of pages below)
Page Links: Introduction | Some Recent Findings |Signaling Factors | WWW Links | References | Glossary
(data from Expasy)
Links: Online Textbooks | Search Textbooks | PubMed | Search PubMed | Glossary
Molecular Biology of the Cell (4th Edn) Alberts, Bruce; Johnson, Alexander; Lewis, Julian; Raff, Martin; Roberts, Keith; Walter, Peter. New York: Garland Publishing; 2002.
Developmental Biology (6th Edn) Gilbert, Scott F. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates, Inc.; c2000.
Search NLM Online Textbooks- "hox" : Molecular Biology of the Cell | Molecular Cell Biology | The Cell- A molecular Approach
Reviews
Search PubMed
Search Aug2005 "Wnt" ?? reference articles of which ?? were reviews.
Search PubMed: term= Wnt
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
The Wnt gene Homepage by Roel Nusse