The origin and evolution of Wnt signalling

• Verfasst von: Holzem, Michaela [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Boutros, Michael [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Holstein, Thomas W. [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: The origin and evolution of Wnt signalling
• Verf.angabe: Michaela Holzem, Michael Boutros, Thomas W. Holstein
• E-Jahr: 2024
• Jahr: 19 February 2024
• Umfang: 13 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 19.07.2024
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Nature reviews. Genetics
• Ort Quelle: London : Nature Publ. Group, 2000
• Jahr Quelle: 2024
• Band/Heft Quelle: 25(2024), 7, Seite 500-512
• ISSN Quelle: 1471-0064
• DOI: doi:10.1038/s41576-024-00699-w
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Evolutionary genetics
• Sach-SW: Molecular evolution
• K10plus-PPN: 1895939275

Abstract

The Wnt signal transduction pathway has essential roles in the formation of the primary body axis during development, cellular differentiation and tissue homeostasis. This animal-specific pathway has been studied extensively in contexts ranging from developmental biology to medicine for more than 40 years. Despite its physiological importance, an understanding of the evolutionary origin and primary function of Wnt signalling has begun to emerge only recently. Recent studies on very basal metazoan species have shown high levels of conservation of components of both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling pathways. Furthermore, some pathway proteins have been described also in non-animal species, suggesting that recruitment and functional adaptation of these factors has occurred in metazoans. In this Review, we summarize the current state of research regarding the evolutionary origin of Wnt signalling, its ancestral function and the characteristics of the primal Wnt ligand, with emphasis on the importance of genomic studies in various pre-metazoan and basal metazoan species.