Abstract

The Wnt family of secreted ligands act through many receptors to stimulate distinct intracellular signalling pathways in embryonic development, in adults and in disease processes. Binding of Wnt to the Frizzled family of receptors and to low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) or LRP6 co-receptors stimulates the intracellular Wnt–-catenin signalling pathway, which regulates -catenin stability and context-dependent transcription. This signalling pathway controls many processes, such as cell fate determination, cell proliferation and self-renewal of stem and progenitor cells. Intriguingly, the transmembrane receptor Tyr kinases Ror2 and Ryk, as well as Frizzled receptors that act independently of LRP5 or LRP6, function as receptors for Wnt and activate -catenin-independent pathways. This leads to changes in cell movement and polarity and to the antagonism of the -catenin pathway.

Author affiliations

1. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy and the Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3M2, Canada.
   Email: stephane.angers@utoronto.ca
2. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pharmacology and the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, BOX 358056, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
   Email: rtmoon@u.washington.edu

Published online 17 June 2009

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