Expression and Function of WNT6: From Development to Disease

Ming Wei; Congmin Zhang; Yujia Tian; Xiaohui Du; Qi Wang; Hui Zhao

doi:10.3389/fcell.2020.558155

Expression and Function of WNT6: From Development to Disease

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Dec 9:8:558155. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.558155. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ming Wei¹, Congmin Zhang², Yujia Tian², Xiaohui Du², Qi Wang¹, Hui Zhao³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
² Department of Scientific Research Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
³ The Health Check Up Center, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.

Abstract

WNT family member 6 (WNT6) is a member of the highly conserved WNT protein family. It plays an essential role in the normal development process, not only in embryonic morphogenesis, but also in post-natal homeostasis. WNT6 functions in mice and humans. This review summarizes the current findings on the biological functions of WNT6, describing its involvement in regulating embryogenesis, decidualization, and organ development. Aberrant WNT6 signaling is related to various pathologies, such as promoting cancer development, lung tuberculosis, and kidney fibrosis and improving the symptoms of Rett syndrome (RTT). Thus, due to its various functions, WNT6 has great potential for in-depth research. This work not only describes the signaling mechanism and function of WNT6 under physiological and pathological conditions, but also provides a theoretical basis for targeted therapy.

Keywords: Wnt6; development; differentiation; disease; organ formation.

Publication types

Review