WNT3A
Description
The WNT3A (Wnt family member 3A) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
The WNT3A gene encodes a protein called Wnt-3a, a secreted signaling protein that is part of the WNT gene family. These proteins are crucial for various cellular processes, including embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Wnt-3a is highly similar to Wnt3 in both sequence and function. Both signal through the beta-catenin/Tcf pathway. Wnt-3a is located in the genome next to the WNT9A gene, and Wnt3 is located next to the WNT9B gene. However, Wnt9A and Wnt9B signal through the beta-catenin/Tcf pathway, but they do not have the same roles in cellular processes as Wnt3A and Wnt3. While Wnt3A has not been linked to any specific genetic disorders in humans, mutations in the WNT3A gene in mice are lethal during early embryogenesis, leading to defects in axial tissue formation.
Wnt-3a is a ligand for frizzled receptors, functioning in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. This pathway activates transcription factors of the TCF/LEF family, ultimately impacting cell fate decisions. Wnt-3a is essential for normal embryonic development, particularly in mesoderm formation, caudal somite formation, and neural tube morphogenesis. It also plays a role in maintaining intestinal stem cell populations.
WNT3A is also known as -.
