When does Wnt5a turn β-catenin signaling on or off?
Purified Wnt5a can activate or inhibit β-catenin–TCF signaling depending on which Frizzled/receptor context is present.
Source
Purified Wnt5a protein activates or inhibits beta-catenin-TCF signaling depending on receptor context
What they did
Used purified Wnt5a protein across receptor contexts to resolve whether Wnt5a is intrinsically canonical or noncanonical.
What they found
Receptor expression dictates output: with appropriate Fz receptors, Wnt5a can signal canonically; otherwise it can inhibit β-catenin–TCF pathways—context explains prior controversies.
The limits
What it doesn't show
One purified ligand study does not map every tissue’s endogenous receptor set.
Key terms
- Wnt5a
- Wnt family ligand historically labeled noncanonical.
- β-catenin–TCF signaling
- Canonical Wnt transcriptional pathway.
- Frizzled (Fz)
- Wnt receptor family guiding pathway choice.
- Receptor context
- Which receptors/coreceptors a cell expresses.
- Canonical vs noncanonical Wnt
- β-catenin-dependent vs alternative Wnt outputs.
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Wnt5a output depends on:
Common questions
Is Wnt5a only noncanonical?
No—output depends on receptor context.
What can Wnt5a do to β-catenin–TCF signaling?
Activate or inhibit it.
Key receptor class?
Frizzled receptors.
Why prior conflicts?
Different cellular systems/overexpression contexts.
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