Dkk2 plays an essential role in the corneal fate of the ocular surface epithelium.
Journal:
Development 2006 JunAuthors:
Mukhopadhyay M, Gorivodsky M, Shtrom S, Grinberg A, Niehrs C, Morasso MI, Westphal H
Abstract
The Dkk family of secreted cysteine-rich proteins regulates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling by interacting with the Wnt co-receptor Lrp5/6. Here, we show that Dkk2-mediated repression of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is essential to promote differentiation of the corneal epithelial progenitor cells into a non-keratinizing stratified epithelium. Complete transformation of the corneal epithelium into a stratified epithelium that expresses epidermal-specific differentiation markers and develops appendage
...[more]s such as hair follicles is achieved in the absence of the Dkk2 gene function. We show that Dkk2 is a key regulator of the corneal versus epidermal fate of the ocular surface epithelium.[less]
Mesh Headings:
Animals, Biological Markers, Cornea, Epidermis, Epithelium, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Keratinocytes, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Mutation, Phenotype