Towards an integrated view of Wnt signaling in development

R van Amerongen, R Nusse - Development, 2009 - journals.biologists.com
Development, 2009journals.biologists.com
Wnt signaling is crucial for embryonic development in all animal species studied to date. The
interaction between Wnt proteins and cell surface receptors can result in a variety of
intracellular responses. A key remaining question is how these specific responses take
shape in the context of a complex, multicellular organism. Recent studies suggest that we
have to revise some of our most basic ideas about Wnt signal transduction. Rather than
thinking about Wnt signaling in terms of distinct, linear, cellular signaling pathways, we …
Wnt signaling is crucial for embryonic development in all animal species studied to date. The interaction between Wnt proteins and cell surface receptors can result in a variety of intracellular responses. A key remaining question is how these specific responses take shape in the context of a complex, multicellular organism. Recent studies suggest that we have to revise some of our most basic ideas about Wnt signal transduction. Rather than thinking about Wnt signaling in terms of distinct, linear, cellular signaling pathways, we propose a novel view that considers the integration of multiple,often simultaneous, inputs at the level of both Wnt-receptor binding and the downstream, intracellular response.
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