Cited by 139Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancerDevelopmental Biology and Gene RegulationMarine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology

Structure and expression of conserved Wnt pathway components in the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica

Adamska, Maja, Larroux, Claire, Adamski, Marcin, Green, Kathryn, Lovas, Erica, Koop, Demian, Richards, Gemma S., Zwafink, Christin +1 more·2010·Evolution & Development

Abstract

SUMMARY Wnt‐signalling plays a critical role in animal development, and its misregulation results in serious human diseases, including cancer. While the Wnt pathway is well studied in eumetazoan models, little is known about the evolutionary origin of its components and their functions. Here, we have identified key machinery of the Wnt–β‐catenin (canonical)‐signalling pathway that is encoded in the Amphimedon queenslandica (Demospongiae; Porifera) genome, namely Wnt, Fzd, SFRP, Lrp5/6, Dvl, Axin, APC, GSK3, β‐catenin, Tcf, and Groucho. Most of these genes are not detected in the choanoflagellate and other nonmetazoan eukaryotic genomes. In contrast, orthologues of some of key components of bilaterian Wnt–planar cell polarity and Wnt/Ca 2+ are absent from the Amphimedon genome, suggesting these pathways evolved after demosponge and eumetazoan lineages diverged. Sequence analysis of the identified proteins of the Wnt–β‐catenin pathway has revealed the presence of most of the conserved motifs and domains responsible for protein–protein and protein–DNA interactions in vertebrates and insects. However, several protein–protein interaction domains appear to be absent from the Amphimedon Axin and APC proteins. These are also missing from their orthologues in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis , suggesting that they are bilaterian novelties. All of the analyzed Wnt pathway genes are expressed in specific patterns during Amphimedon embryogenesis. Most are expressed in especially striking and highly dynamic patterns during formation of a simple organ‐like larval structure, the pigment ring. Overall, our results indicate that the Wnt–β‐catenin pathway was used in embryonic patterning in the last common ancestor of living metazoans. Subsequently, gene duplications and a possible increase in complexity of protein interactions have resulted in the precisely regulated Wnt pathway observed in extant bilaterian animals.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2010.00435.x

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  • Previous analysis of gene expression during embryonic development of Amphimedon showed that all key components of the canonical Wnt pathway are expressed throughout the outer layer of embryos and larvae.

    “Previous analysis of gene expression during embryonic development of Amphimedon is consistent with this view: all of the key components of the canonical Wnt pathway are expressed throughout the outer layer of embryos and larvae 42 .”

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Authors
Adamska, M., Larroux, C., Adamski, M., Green, K., Lovas, E., Koop, D., Richards, G. S., Zwafink, C., & Degnan, B. M.
Affiliations
The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Degnan, Bernard M.
Venue
Evolution & Development
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2010-09
Volume
12
Issue
5
Pages
494-518
ISSN
  • 1520-541X (ISSN-L)
  • 1525-142X
OpenAlex
W1605394511
Cited by
139
References
99
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 18
FWCI
5.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Evolution & Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Queensland
  • Australian Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development and cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
Keywords
Wnt signaling, canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, Amphimedon queenslandica, demosponges, embryonic patterning, Axin, APC, gene duplication, protein-protein interaction domains, Nematostella vectensis, sponges, metazoan origin
MeSH terms
Animals, Embryo, Nonmammalian, Biological Evolution, Phylogeny, Porifera, Signal Transduction, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Body Patterning, Embryonic Development, Wnt Proteins, Frizzled Receptors, beta Catenin

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