Abstract
Wnt proteins are intercellular signals that regulate various aspects of animal development. In Caenorhabditis elegans, mutations in lin-17, a Frizzled-class Wnt receptor, and in lin-18 affect cell fate patterning in the P7.p vulval lineage. We found that lin-18 encodes a member of the Ryk/Derailed family of tyrosine kinase-related receptors, recently found to function as Wnt receptors. Members of this family have nonactive kinase domains. The LIN-18 kinase domain is dispensable for LIN-18 function, while the Wnt binding WIF domain is required. We also found that Wnt proteins LIN-44, MOM-2, and CWN-2 redundantly regulate P7.p patterning. Genetic interactions indicate that LIN-17 and LIN-18 function independently of each other in parallel pathways, and different ligands display different receptor specificities. Thus, two independent Wnt signaling pathways, one employing a Ryk receptor and the other a Frizzled receptor, function in parallel to regulate cell fate patterning in the C. elegans vulva.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
-
Amino Acid Sequence / genetics
-
Animals
-
Base Sequence / genetics
-
Binding Sites / physiology
-
Body Patterning / genetics
-
Caenorhabditis elegans / cytology
-
Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
-
Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
-
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
-
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / isolation & purification
-
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
-
Cell Differentiation / genetics
-
DNA, Complementary / analysis
-
DNA, Complementary / genetics
-
Female
-
Frizzled Receptors
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
-
Glycoproteins / metabolism
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Protein Binding / physiology
-
Protein Structure, Tertiary / genetics
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
-
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
-
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / isolation & purification
-
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
-
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
-
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
-
Receptors, Neurotransmitter / genetics
-
Receptors, Neurotransmitter / metabolism
-
Signal Transduction / genetics
-
Wnt Proteins
Substances
-
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
-
DNA, Complementary
-
FZD1 protein, human
-
Frizzled Receptors
-
Glycoproteins
-
LIN-17 protein, C elegans
-
LIN-44 protein, C elegans
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins
-
Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
-
Receptors, Neurotransmitter
-
Wnt Proteins
-
LIN-18 protein, C elegans
-
RYK protein, human
-
Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases