Molecular control of cell migration during Xenopus gastrulation by different Wnt signalling pathways

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Alexandra Schambony
• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2004 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5434200

In vertebrate gastrulation convergent extension (CE) of the involuting mesoderm is crucial for the formation and elongation of the anterior-posterior body axis. The requirement of canonical and non-canonical Wnt-signalling for the regulation of these morphogenetic movements has been shown during the last years. Qur results show that non-canonical Wnt-signalling inhibits the canonical pathway, but not vice versa and that Xnr-3 is the key target gene of the canonical Wnt pathway for convergent extension. Recently we have demonstrated that Xenopus paraxial protocadherin coordinates cell polarity in the mesoderm during convergent extension. We also found that apart from its function in cell-cell adhesion XPAPC is capable of triggering signalling events including JNK activation. Future reseach will continue our work on the role of XWnt-5A signalling and the targets of the canonical Wnt-pathway, one focus will be functional characterisation of Xnr-3. Another major topic in our work will be to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which XPAPC coordinates polarity. For this purpose we sought to identify its interaction partners, its connection to Wnt-signalling, and the intracellular downstream effectors of XPAPC signalling activity.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professorin Dr. Doris Wedlich (†)