Abstract
The Drosophila wingless gene (wg) encodes a protein of the Wnt family and is a critical regulator in many developmental processes. Biochemical studies have indicated that heparan sulphate proteoglycans, consisting of a protein core to which heparan sulphate glycosaminoglycans are attached, are important for Wg function. Here we show that, consistent with these findings, the Drosophila gene sulfateless (sfl), which encodes a homologue of vertebrate heparan sulphate N-deacetylase/N-sulphotransferase (an enzyme needed for the modification of heparan sulphate) is essential for Wg signalling. We have identified the product of division abnormally delayed (dally), a glycosyl-phosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-linked glypican, as a heparan sulphate proteoglycan molecule involved in Wg signalling. Our results indicate that Dally may act as a co-receptor for Wg, and that Dally, together with Drosophila Frizzled 2, modulates both short- and long-range activities of Wg.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amidohydrolases / genetics
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Amidohydrolases / physiology
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Body Patterning
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Drosophila / embryology
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Drosophila / genetics
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Drosophila / physiology*
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Drosophila Proteins*
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Female
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Frizzled Receptors
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Genes, Insect
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Heparin / analogs & derivatives
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Heparin / physiology
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Insect Proteins / genetics
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Insect Proteins / physiology
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Membrane Glycoproteins / physiology*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Mutation
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Proteoglycans / physiology*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology*
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Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
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Receptors, Neurotransmitter / physiology*
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Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Signal Transduction*
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Sulfotransferases / genetics
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Sulfotransferases / physiology
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Wings, Animal / embryology
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Wnt1 Protein
Substances
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Drosophila Proteins
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Frizzled Receptors
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Insect Proteins
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Membrane Glycoproteins
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Proteoglycans
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
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Receptors, Neurotransmitter
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Wnt1 Protein
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dally protein, Drosophila
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fz2 protein, Drosophila
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heparin proteoglycan
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wg protein, Drosophila
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Heparin
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Sulfotransferases
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heparitin sulfotransferase
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sfl protein, Drosophila
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Amidohydrolases