HeWnt-4

Function

HeWnt-4 is a member of the Wnt gene family, one of the principal families of secreted signaling molecules that orchestrate the development of both invertebrate and vertebrete embryos.
Southern blot analysis demonstrated that HeWnt-4 is a single copy gene (Ferkowicz et al., 1998).

Protein

HeWnt-4 is a cell signaling protein.
All idetified sea urchin Wnt sequences contain nine absolutely conserved cysteine residues and a potential N-linked glycosylation sequence (Ferkowicz et al., 1998).
GenBank: 1857936

Subcellular location

Wnt proteins are secreted and do not diffuse more than a few cell diametres from Wnt-expressing cells (Nusse and Varmus, 1992, Siegfried and Perrimon, 1994).

Expression Pattern

The pattern of HeWnt-4 transcript accumulation is similar to that of HeWnt-5, albeit at a slightly lower level. HeWnt-4 expression is first detectable at the mesenchyme blastula stage and continues to be expressed at a similar level throughout gastrulation. The abundance of HeWnt-4 transcripts declines by the early larval stage, similar to that of the HeWnt-5 transcripts. Also like HeWnt-5, there is a second phase of higher expression by the midlarval stage through metamorphosis in H. erythrogramma. These stages are dominated by the precocious development of the adult rudiment in this species (Ferkowicz et al., 1998).

mRNA level

Temporal accumulation
Method 1: RNase protection assay
Reference: Ferkowicz et al., 1998

Stage	Unfertilized egg	16 cells	Late cleavage	Early blastula	Mesenchyme blastula	Early gastrula	Late gastrula	36-h early larva	53-h midlarva	70-h late larva	94-h metamorphosing juvenile
Level	-	-	-	-	+	+	+	+--	+-	+	+