Extended analyses of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway: robustness and oscillatory behaviour

FEBS Lett. 2007 Aug 21;581(21):4043-8. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.07.043. Epub 2007 Jul 27.

Abstract

The Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathway is evolutionarily conserved across many species and plays important roles during embryogenesis. The Lee-Heinrich model (to recognize the contributions of R. Heinrich we will refer to the work proposed by Lee et al. [Lee, E., Salic, A., Krüger, R., Heinrich, R., Kirschner, M.W. (2003) The roles of APC and axin derived from experimental and theoretical analysis of the Wnt pathway. PloS Biol. 1, 116-132] as the Lee-Heinrich model) describes this pathway by use of coupled ordinary differential equations. Here, we extend this model by introducing negative feedback loops of the pathway using time-delay differential equations. Single- and multiple-parameter perturbations suggest a very robust behaviour of this pathway that can also demonstrate oscillatory behaviour. These findings are of biological significance as Wnt pathway components show oscillations during vertebrate somitogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Clocks / physiology*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Organogenesis / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Somites / metabolism*
  • Vertebrates / embryology
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Wnt Proteins
  • beta Catenin