SpWnt-1

Function

SpWnt-1 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 SpWnt-1 is a single copy gene (Ferkowicz et al., 1998).

Protein

SpWnt-1 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).
SWISS_PROT: P28094

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

SpWnt-1 gives rise to a predominant 6-kb transcript which is first detected at the early blastula stage of development. The abundance of the transcript peaks at the mesenchyme blastula stage and then slightly declines through the early pluteus stage.
A smaller, less abundant SpWnt-1 transcript may also be present at the mesenchyme blastula stage (Ferkowicz et al., 1998).

mRNA level

Temporal accumulation
Method: RNA blot hybridization
Reference: Ferkowicz et al., 1998