A role for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in lens epithelial differentiation

Abstract

The differentiation of epithelial cells and fiber cells from the anterior and posterior compartments of the lens vesicle, respectively, give the mammalian lens its distinctive polarity. While much progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of fiber differentiation, little is known about factors that govern the differentiation of the epithelium. Members of the Wnt growth factor family appear to be key regulators of epithelial differentiation in various organ systems. Wnts are ligands for Frizzled receptors and can activate several signaling pathways, of which the best understood is the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The presence of LDL-related protein coreceptors (LRPs) 5 or 6 has be..