The canonical WNT signaling pathway plays a crucial role in patterning of the embryo during development, but little is known about the specific developmental events which are under WNT control. To understand more about how the WNT pathway orchestrates mammalian organogenesis, we studied the canonical beta-catenin-mediated WNT signaling pathway in kidneys of mice bearing a beta-catenin-responsiv...

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a morphogenic protein that operates through the Gli transcription factor-dependent canonical pathway to orchestrate normal development of many tissues. Because aberrant levels of Gli activity lead to a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from neurodevelopmental defects to cancer, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of Shh canonical pathway is paramount. During early st...

The canonical Hippo/Mst pathway, originally discovered in Drosophila, is famous for its function in promoting apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, and regulating tissue regeneration. However, emerging evidence shows that multiple non-canonical Hippo signaling pathways are also implicated in the regulation of various other biological processes. Recent studies have revealed...

Accumulating lines of evidence have indicated that hyperlipidemia not only is a well-established etiological factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but also plays an active role in regulating bone metabolism. As a mixture of oxidized phospholipids derived from the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL), oxidized 1-palmitoyl2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (ox-PAPC) is report...

Although canonical NFκB is frequently critical for cell proliferation, survival, or differentiation, NFκB hyperactivation can cause malignant, inflammatory, or autoimmune disorders. Despite intensive study, mammalian NFκB pathway loss-of-function RNAi analyses have been limited to specific protein classes. We therefore undertook a human genome-wide siRNA screen for novel NFκB activation pathway...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells utilize a novel non-canonical pathway of glutamine metabolism that is essential for tumor growth and redox balance. Inhibition of this metabolic pathway in PDAC can potentially synergize with therapies that increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as radiation. Here, we evaluated the dependence of pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs...

This Editorial Guide uses Wnt-stimulated activation of the transcriptional activity of β-catenin, the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, to illustrate the hazards of limiting research investigation and questions to those that fit the "canonical" view.

Non-canonical, beta-catenin-independent Wnt signaling regulates cell polarization and movements. A recent study reveals that casein kinase Iepsilon mediates an additional novel non-canonical Wnt pathway via the activation of the Rap1 GTPase during vertebrate gastrulation.

PURPOSE The role of the Wnt[b]/beta-catenin-dependent pathway (canonical Wnt pathway) in the context of retinal development and homeostasis is largely unknown. This study was undertaken to characterize activation of the Wnt canonical pathway and its relevance to cell type populations in the developing and adult retina. METHODS Tissue from TCF/Lef-LacZ (T-cell-specific transcription factor/lym...