WNT ligand biogenesis and trafficking (Homo sapiens)
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Description
19 WNT proteins have been identified in human cells. The WNTs are members of a conserved metazoan family of secreted morphogens that activate several signaling pathways in the responding cell: the canonical (beta-catenin) WNT signaling cascade and several non-canonical pathways, including the planar cell polarity (PCP), the regulation of intracellular calcium signaling and activation of JNK kinases. WNT proteins exist in a gradient outside the secreting cell and are able to act over both short and long ranges to promote proliferation, changes in cell migration and polarity and tissue homeostasis, among others (reviewed in Saito-Diaz et al, 2012; Willert and Nusse, 2012).
The WNTs are ~40kDa proteins with 23 conserved cysteine residues in the N-terminal that may form intramolecular disulphide bonds. They also contain an N-terminal signal sequence and a number of N-linked glycosylation sites (Janda et al, 2012). In addition to being glycosylated, WNTs are also lipid-modified in the endoplasmic reticulum by a WNT-specific O-acyl-transferase, Porcupine (PORCN), contributing to their characteristic hydrophobicity. PORCN-dependent palmitoylation is required for the secretion of WNT as well as its signaling activity, as either depletion of PORCN or mutation of the conserved serine acylation site results in the intracellular accumulation of WNT ligand (Takada et al, 2006; Barrott et al, 2011; Biechele et al, 2011; reviewed in Willert and Nusse, 2012).
Secretion of WNT requires a number of other dedicated factors including the sorting receptor Wntless (WLS) (also knownas Evi, Sprinter, and GPR177), which binds WNT and escorts it to the cell surface (Banziger et al, 2006; Bartscherer et al, 2006; Goodman et al, 2006). A WNT-specific retromer containing SNX3 is subsequently required for the recycling of WLS back to the Golgi (reviewed in Herr et al, 2012; Johannes and Wunder, 2011). Once at the cell surface, WNT makes extensive contacts with components of the extracellular matrix such as heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and may be bound by any of a number of regulatory proteins, including WIFs and SFRPs. The diffusion of the WNT ligand may be aided by its packing either into WNT multimers, exosomes or onto lipoprotein particles to shield the hydrophobic lipid adducts from the aqueous extracellular environment (Gross et al, 2012; Luga et al, 2012, Korkut et al, 2009; reviewed in Willert and Nusse, 2012).
View original pathway at:Reactome.
The WNTs are ~40kDa proteins with 23 conserved cysteine residues in the N-terminal that may form intramolecular disulphide bonds. They also contain an N-terminal signal sequence and a number of N-linked glycosylation sites (Janda et al, 2012). In addition to being glycosylated, WNTs are also lipid-modified in the endoplasmic reticulum by a WNT-specific O-acyl-transferase, Porcupine (PORCN), contributing to their characteristic hydrophobicity. PORCN-dependent palmitoylation is required for the secretion of WNT as well as its signaling activity, as either depletion of PORCN or mutation of the conserved serine acylation site results in the intracellular accumulation of WNT ligand (Takada et al, 2006; Barrott et al, 2011; Biechele et al, 2011; reviewed in Willert and Nusse, 2012).
Secretion of WNT requires a number of other dedicated factors including the sorting receptor Wntless (WLS) (also knownas Evi, Sprinter, and GPR177), which binds WNT and escorts it to the cell surface (Banziger et al, 2006; Bartscherer et al, 2006; Goodman et al, 2006). A WNT-specific retromer containing SNX3 is subsequently required for the recycling of WLS back to the Golgi (reviewed in Herr et al, 2012; Johannes and Wunder, 2011). Once at the cell surface, WNT makes extensive contacts with components of the extracellular matrix such as heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and may be bound by any of a number of regulatory proteins, including WIFs and SFRPs. The diffusion of the WNT ligand may be aided by its packing either into WNT multimers, exosomes or onto lipoprotein particles to shield the hydrophobic lipid adducts from the aqueous extracellular environment (Gross et al, 2012; Luga et al, 2012, Korkut et al, 2009; reviewed in Willert and Nusse, 2012).
View original pathway at:Reactome.
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Porcupine is a conserved multi-pass transmembrane ER protein that has an O-acyl-transferase domain (van den Heuvel et al, 1993; Kadowaki et al, 1996; Hofmann, 2000). First identified in Drosophila, Porcupine is a WNT-specific modulator that is required for Wingless processing and secretion (Kadowaki et al, 1996). In porcn-deficient cells, Wg and WNT3A have decreased palmitoylation at S209 and accumulate in the ER (Takada et al, 2006), and mutations in PORCN eliminate all WNT signalling and cause embryonic lethality in mice (Barrott et al, 2011; Biechele et al, 2011). Recent studies show that PORCN is required for activity of all human WNT ligands (Proffitt et al, 2012; Najdi et al, 2012).
Retromer is required for the recycling of WLS to the Golgi to allow further rounds of WNT-ligand delivery to the plasma membrane (Coudreuse et al 2006; Belenkaya et al 2008; Port et al, 2008). In the absence of essential retromer component VPS35 or VPS26, WLS is diverted to the MVB and degraded, and WNT ligand accumulates inside the cell; overexpression of WLS is sufficient to rescue the vps35 defect in WNT signaling (Belenkaya et al, 2006; Franch-Marro et al, 2008). WLS and retromer colocalize on endosomal structures and WLS and VPS35 co-precipitate in pull down studies (Belenkaya et al, 2006; Port et al, 2008; Franch-Marro et al, 2008).
Several recent studies have suggested that WLS recycling depends on a WNT-specific retromer in which the SNX-BAR proteins of the classic complex are replaced by SNX3 (Zhang et al, 2011; Harterink et al, 2011; reviewed in Johannes and Wunder, 2011). Unlike SNX1/2/5/6, SNX3 does not contain a BAR domain, and WLS is suggested to accumulate in endocytic vesicles rather than in the tubular structures of the 'classic' retromer (Harterink et al, 2011; Zhang et al, 2011). SNX3 is recruited from the cytosol to the early endosome through the interaction of its PX domain with PIP3 in the membrane. Mutation of critical residues in the PX domain abolish the interaction with PIP3 and ablate endsomal recruitment of SNX3 (Xu et al, 2001; Zhang at al, 2011; Harterink et al, 2011). SNX3 has been shown to co-immunoprecipitate with VPS35 and VPS26, and some studies have also shown a direct interaction between SNX3 and WLS (Zhang et al, 2011; Harterink et al, 2011).
Once in the extracellular space, the lipid-modified WNT ligand must be shielded to allow the morphogen to diffuse away from the plasma membrane. Possible mechanisms include interaction with HSPGs, exosomes, multimerization or incorporation into lipoprotein particles (reviewed in Eaton, 2006; Port and Basler, 2010).
LGK974 is a small molecule inhibitor of PORCN that was identified in a screen for compounds that block WNT secretion (Liu et al, 2013). LGK974 potently blocks WNT signaling in vitro and in vivo and is in Phase I clinical trials (NCT01351103) for use in the treatment of WNT-dependent cancers.