Inhibitory Gli3 activity negatively regulates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling

Curr Biol. 2007 Mar 20;17(6):545-50. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.01.062. Epub 2007 Mar 1.

Abstract

The Hedgehog (Hh) and Wingless (Wnt) families of secreted signaling molecules have key roles in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis [1-3]. In the developing neural tube, Wnt and Shh, emanating from dorsal and ventral regions, respectively, have been proposed to govern the proliferation and survival of neural progenitors [4-10]. Surprisingly, Shh is required for the growth and survival of cells in both ventral and dorsal neural tube [11]. Here we demonstrate that inhibition of Shh signaling causes a reduction in Wnt-mediated transcriptional activation. This reduction requires Gli3. Assays in embryos and cell lines indicate that repressor forms of the Hh-regulated transcription factor, Gli3 (Gli3R), which are generated in the absence of Hh signaling, inhibit canonical Wnt signaling. Gli3R acts by antagonizing active forms of the Wnt transcriptional effector, beta-catenin. Consistent with this, Gli3R appears to physically interact with the carboxy-terminal domain of beta-catenin, a region that includes the transactivation domain. These data offer an explanation for the proliferative defects in Shh null embryos and suggest a novel mechanism for crosstalk between the Hh and Wnt pathways.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chick Embryo
  • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism
  • Embryonic Development
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Hedgehog Proteins / genetics
  • Hedgehog Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Wnt Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Xenopus
  • Zinc Finger Protein Gli3
  • beta Catenin / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • GLI3 protein, human
  • Gli3 protein, mouse
  • Hedgehog Proteins
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Wnt3 Protein
  • Zinc Finger Protein Gli3
  • beta Catenin