Genetic mosaic analysis reveals a major role for frizzled 4 and frizzled 8 in controlling ureteric growth in the developing kidney

X Ye, Y Wang, A Rattner, J Nathans - Development, 2011 - journals.biologists.com
X Ye, Y Wang, A Rattner, J Nathans
Development, 2011journals.biologists.com
The developing mammalian kidney is an attractive system in which to study the control of
organ growth. Targeted mutations in the Wnt receptors frizzled (Fz) 4 and Fz8 lead to
reduced ureteric bud growth and a reduction in kidney size, a phenotype previously reported
for loss of Wnt11. In cell culture, Fz4 and Fz8 can mediate noncanonical signaling stimulated
by Wnt11, but only Fz4 mediates Wnt11-stimulated canonical signaling. In genetically
mosaic mouse ureteric buds, competition between phenotypically mutant Fz4−/− or Fz4−/−; …
The developing mammalian kidney is an attractive system in which to study the control of organ growth. Targeted mutations in the Wnt receptors frizzled (Fz) 4 and Fz8 lead to reduced ureteric bud growth and a reduction in kidney size, a phenotype previously reported for loss of Wnt11. In cell culture, Fz4 and Fz8 can mediate noncanonical signaling stimulated by Wnt11, but only Fz4 mediates Wnt11-stimulated canonical signaling. In genetically mosaic mouse ureteric buds, competition between phenotypically mutant Fz4−/− or Fz4−/−;Fz8−/− cells and adjacent phenotypically wild-type Fz4+/− or Fz4+/−;Fz8−/− cells results in under-representation of the mutant cells to an extent far greater than would be predicted from the size reduction of homogeneously mutant kidneys. This discrepancy presumably reflects the compensatory action of a network of growth regulatory systems that minimize developmental perturbations. The present work represents the first description of a kidney phenotype referable to one or more Wnt receptors and demonstrates a general strategy for revealing the contribution of an individual growth regulatory pathway when it is part of a larger homeostatic network.
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