Wnt-7a

Wnt-7a belongs to the Wnt family of signaling proteins that play a key role in maintaining the integrity of embryonic and adult tissues. It is expressed in placenta, kidney, testis, uterus, fetal lung and fetal and adult brain. Most Wnt proteins can signal though a mechanism called the canonical Wnt pathway, in which Wnt proteins bind to and activate seven-pass transmembrane receptors of the Frizzled family ultimately leading to the disruption of β-Catenin degradation. Intracellular accumulation of β-Catenin increases translocation of the protein into the nucleus where it binds to TCF/LEF transcription factors and induces the expression of numerous genes. Increased Wnt/β-Catenin signaling is associated with tumorigenesis in a diverse set of human cancers. However, Wnt-7a/Frizzled-9 signaling has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancers. Recombinant human Wnt-7a is a 35.5 kDa glycoprotein containing 318 amino acids. Due to glycosylation, Wnt-7a migrates between 40-55 kDa by SDS-PAGE gel under unreduced conditions.