13-P107 GATA transcription factors integrate Wnt signaling during heart development

Research output: Contribution to journalAbstract

Abstract

Wnt signalling has several roles during heart development, which involve both inhibition of cardiogenesis by canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and stimulation by non-canonical Wnt11/JNK signaling. Here, we use stem-cell-like embryonic explants from Xenopus laevis to investigate the timing of Wnt molecules function and the molecular basis of the regulatory mechanisms involved. We uncover a central role for GATA transcription factors in integrating and regulating Wnt signaling in cardiogenesis. GATA gene expression emerges as the relevant target for inhibition by canonical Wnt/ ß-catenin signaling, since experimentally reinstating GATA function overrides ß-catenin–mediated inhibition and restores cardiogenesis. GATA transcription factors in turn directly regulate not only Nkx2-5 but also Wnt11. We show that Wnt11 function is indeed required to a large extent for mediating the cardiogenesis-promoting activity of GATA transcription factors. These results demonstrate that GATA transcription factors occupy a central position between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling in a pathway regulating heart muscle differentiation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)S227
Number of pages1
JournalMechanisms of Development
Volume126
Issue numberSupplement
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2009

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