Regulation of Wnt Signaling by Heterotrimeric G-Proteins
S. Mahmoud A. Najafi *
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Wnt signal transduction pathways play crucial roles in animal development, and after birth, they are involved in maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of the Wnt-mediated pathways occurs in many human diseases, including a wide range of human cancers. Many years ago, due to the topological similarity between Frizzled receptors and G-protein-coupled receptors, it was proposed that heterotrimeric G-proteins might be involved in the regulation of Wnt/Frizzled-mediated signaling pathways. Currently, there is a wealth of evidence indicating that heterotrimeric G-proteins regulate both canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways. This review article will discuss some of this evidence and the significance of this interaction.
Keywords: Wnt signaling, G proteins, GPCR, frizzled, cancer