The functions and possible significance of Kremen as the gatekeeper of Wnt signalling in development and pathology

Kremen (Krm) was originally discovered as a novel transmembrane protein containing the kringle domain. Both Krm1 (the first identified Krm) and its relative Krm2 were later identified to be the high-affinity receptors for Dickkopf (Dkk), the inhibitor of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. The formation of a ternary complex composed of Krm, Dkk, and Lrp5/6 (the coreceptor of Wnt) inhibits Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. In Xenopus gastrula embryos, Wnt/beta-catenin signalling regulates anterior-posterior patterning, with low-signalling in anterior regions. Inhibition of Krm1/2 induces embryonic head defects. Together with anterior localization of Krms and Dkks, the inhibition of Wnt signalling by Dkk-Krm action seems to allow anterior embryonic development. During mammalian development, krm1 mRNA expression is low in the early stages, but gradually and continuously increases with developmental progression and differentiation. In contrast with the wide, strong expression of krm1 mRNA in mature tissues, expression of krm1 is diminished in a variety of human tumor cells. Since stem cells and undifferentiated cells rely on Wnt/beta-catenin signalling for maintenance in a low differentiation state, the physiological shutdown of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling by Dkk-Krm is likely to set cells on a divergent path toward differentiation. In tumour cells, a deficit of Krm may increase the susceptibility to tumourigenic transformation. Both positive and negative regulation of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling definitively contributes to diverse developmental and physiological processes, including cell-fate determination, tissue patterning and stem cell regulation. Krm is quite significant in these processes as the gatekeeper of the Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathway.     

Activated macrophages promote Wnt signalling through tumour necrosis factor-alpha in gastric tumour cells

The activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling has an important function in gastrointestinal tumorigenesis. It has been suggested that the promotion of Wnt/beta-catenin activity beyond the threshold is important for carcinogenesis. We herein investigated the role of macrophages in the promotion of Wnt/beta-catenin activity in gastric tumorigenesis. We found beta-catenin nuclear accumulation in macrophage-infiltrated dysplastic mucosa of the K19-Wnt1 mouse stomach. Moreover, macrophage depletion in Apc(Delta716) mice resulted in the suppression of intestinal tumorigenesis. These results suggested the role of macrophages in the activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, which thus leads to tumour development. Importantly, the conditioned medium of activated macrophages promoted Wnt/beta-catenin signalling in gastric cancer cells, which was suppressed by the inhibition of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Furthermore, treatment with TNF-alpha induced glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) phosphorylation, which resulted in the stabilization of beta-catenin. We also found that Helicobacter infection in the K19-Wnt1 mouse stomach caused mucosal macrophage infiltration and nuclear beta-catenin accumulation. These results suggest that macrophage-derived TNF-alpha promotes Wnt/beta-catenin signalling through inhibition of GSK3beta, which may contribute to tumour development in the gastric mucosa.     

Wnt/beta-catenin 信号通路相关蛋白在胃癌组织中的表达和 肿瘤转移的关系

目的：探讨了Wnt信号通路相关蛋白在胃癌组织中的表达及与肿瘤转移的关系。方法：选取2011 年6 月到2012 年6 月我 院胃癌术后47 例肿瘤标本作为研究对象,并选取同一患者的正常胃组织作为对照研究。采用实时荧光定量PCR 和Western blot 对胃癌组织和正常胃组织Wnt 信号通路相关蛋白进行分析,并分析了肿瘤转移和非转移患者Wnt信号通路相关蛋白的变化。结 果：与正常胃组织比较,胃癌组织中Wnt1、Wnt3、Wnt3a、beta-catenin、CyclinD1 和c-Myc 等分子的mRNA 水平明显上调,差异有显 著统计学意义（P<0.05）。胃癌组织中总beta-catenin 和核内beta-catenin蛋白较正常胃组织明显增加,而磷酸化beta-catenin 较正常组明显 下降、差异有显著统计学意义（P<0.05）。与非转移组比较,转移组患者胃癌组织中Wnt1、Wnt3、Wnt3a 等分子mRNA水平显著上 调,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论：Wnt信号通路异常激活在胃癌发生和癌细胞转移中发挥着重要的作用,为临床治疗提供了 一定靶点。     

Adenomatous polyposis coli proteins and cell adhesion

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is an important tumour suppressor in the mammalian intestinal epithelium. It binds to beta-catenin and its role as a tumour suppressor depends predominantly on its ability to downregulate soluble beta-catenin, a key effector of the Wnt signalling pathway. However, epithelial cells have a distinct subcellular pool of beta-catenin, or Drosophila Armadillo, which functions as a structural component of adherens junctions. Notably, APC proteins can be associated with these adherens junctions, and recent evidence points to a role for APC in cellular adhesion. Thus, APC--like beta-catenin/Armadillo--may have a dual role in Wnt signal transduction and in cellular adhesion, which could be relevant to its activity as a tumour suppressor.     

The C-terminal cytoplasmic Lys-thr-X-X-X-Trp motif in frizzled receptors mediates Wnt/beta-catenin signalling

Frizzled receptors are components of the Wnt signalling pathway, but how they activate the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is not clear. Here we use three distinct vertebrate frizzled receptors (Xfz3, Xfz4 and Xfz7) and describe whether and how their C-terminal cytoplasmic regions transduce the Wnt/beta-catenin signal. We show that Xfz3 activates this pathway in the absence of exogenous ligands, while Xfz4 and Xfz7 interact with Xwnt5A to activate this pathway. Analysis using chimeric receptors reveals that their C-terminal cytoplasmic regions are functionally equivalent in Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. Furthermore, a conserved motif (Lys-Thr-X-X-X-Trp) located two amino acids after the seventh transmembrane domain is required for activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway and for membrane relocalization and phosphorylation of Dishevelled. Frizzled receptors with point mutations affecting either of the three conserved residues are defective in Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. These findings provide functional evidence supporting a role of this conserved motif in the modulation of Wnt signalling. They are consistent with the genetic features exhibited by Drosophila Dfz3 and Caenorhabditis elegans mom-5 in which the tryptophan is substituted by a tyrosine.     

A morphogen gradient of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling regulates anteroposterior neural patterning in Xenopus.

Anteroposterior (AP) patterning of the vertebrate neural plate is initiated during gastrulation and is regulated by Spemann's organizer and its derivatives. The prevailing model for AP patterning predicts a caudally increasing gradient of a 'transformer' which posteriorizes anteriorly specified neural cells. However, the molecular identity of the transforming gradient has remained elusive. We show that in Xenopus embryos (1) dose-dependent Wnt signalling is both necessary and sufficient for AP patterning of the neuraxis, (2) Wnt/beta-catenin signalling occurs in a direct and long-range fashion within the ectoderm, and (3) that there is an endogenous AP gradient of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling in the presumptive neural plate of the Xenopus gastrula. Our results indicate that an activity gradient of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling acts as transforming morphogen to pattern the Xenopus central nervous system.     

Mutual antagonism between dickkopf1 and dickkopf2 regulates Wnt/beta-catenin signalling

Wnts are secreted glycoproteins implicated in diverse processes during embryonic patterning in metazoans. They signal through seven-transmembrane receptors of the Frizzled (Fz) family [1] to stabilise beta-catenin [2]. Wnts are antagonised by several extracellular inhibitors including the product of the dickkopf1 (dkk1) gene, which was identified in Xenopus embryos and is a member of a multigene family. The dkk1 gene acts upstream of the Wnt pathway component dishevelled but its mechanism of action is unknown [3]. Although the function of Dkk1 as a Wnt inhibitor in vertebrates is well established [3-6], the effect of other Dkks on the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is unclear. Here, we report that a related family member, Dkk2, activates rather than inhibits the Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathway in Xenopus embryos. Dkk2 strongly synergised with Wnt receptors of the Fz family to induce Wnt signalling responses. The study identifies Dkk2 as a secreted molecule that is able to activate Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. The results suggest that a coordinated interplay between inhibiting dkk1 and activating dkk2 can modulate Fz signalling.