The Role of Wnt Ligands in the Development of Limb Musculature

Authors

Jordan Huber, Brigham Young University
Dr. Jeffery Barrow, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Wnt, limb musculature, secreted proteins, mice

College

Life Sciences

Department

Physiology and Developmental Biology

Abstract

The Wnt family of secreted proteins consists of 19 family members (in the mouse) and is known to signal through multiple pathways that regulate crucial processes in the development of almost all tissues. Dissecting the roles of individual Wnts has been hampered due to functional redundancy that exists between family members. By making a conditional allele of the O-acyltransferase, Porcupine (Porcn), that is required for the secretion of all Wnt ligands, and a tissue specific enhancer to drive Cre expression, we are able to eliminate the secretion of all Wnt ligands in tissues of interest. We eliminated the secretion of ventral limb ectodermal Wnts with the use of the conditional allele of Porcn and the Msx2Cre deleter, and observed a loss and reduction of underlying musculature as shown in Figure 2 below.

Recommended Citation

Huber, Jordan and Barrow, Dr. Jeffery (2013) "The Role of Wnt Ligands in the Development of Limb Musculature," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 1448.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/1448