The TAK1-NLK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascade Functions in the Wnt-5a/Ca2+ Pathway To Antagonize Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

T Ishitani, S Kishida, J Hyodo-Miura… - … and cellular biology, 2003 - Taylor & Francis
T Ishitani, S Kishida, J Hyodo-Miura, N Ueno, J Yasuda, M Waterman, H Shibuya, RT Moon
Molecular and cellular biology, 2003Taylor & Francis
Wnt signaling controls a variety of developmental processes. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin
pathway functions to stabilize β-catenin, and the noncanonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway activates
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). In addition, the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway
activated by Wnt-5a antagonizes the Wnt/β-catenin pathway via an unknown mechanism.
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway composed of TAK1 MAPK kinase
kinase and NLK MAPK also negatively regulates the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling …
Wnt signaling controls a variety of developmental processes. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway functions to stabilize β-catenin, and the noncanonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway activates Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). In addition, the Wnt/Ca2+ pathway activated by Wnt-5a antagonizes the Wnt/β-catenin pathway via an unknown mechanism. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway composed of TAK1 MAPK kinase kinase and NLK MAPK also negatively regulates the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Here we show that activation of CaMKII induces stimulation of the TAK1-NLK pathway. Overexpression of Wnt-5a in HEK293 cells activates NLK through TAK1. Furthermore, by using a chimeric receptor (β2AR-Rfz-2) containing the ligand-binding and transmembrane segments from the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) and the cytoplasmic domains from rat Frizzled-2 (Rfz-2), stimulation with the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol activates activities of endogenous CaMKII, TAK1, and NLK and inhibits β-catenin-induced transcriptional activation. These results suggest that the TAK1-NLK MAPK cascade is activated by the noncanonical Wnt-5a/Ca2+ pathway and antagonizes canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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