Wnt16

• OMIM: 164820
• UniProt: Q9UBV4

The Wnt16 protein is a secreted protein of the Wnt signaling pathway, which is used in multi-celled organisms, among others, the control of development. Wnt16 exists in two isoforms, Wnt16A is produced in the pancreas and Wnt16B is (with the exception of the bone marrow ) as well as in the kidney prepared in cells of the lymphatic system.

Properties

Wnt16B is a marker for cellular senescence, which regulates the activity of p53 and the protein kinase B signaling pathway. Furthermore, Wnt16 regulates bone density, cortical bone thickness, breaking strength of the bones and the risk of fracture in osteoporosis.

Wnt16B is induced in mice during chemotherapy. This protein can promote in mice the growth of prostate cancer cells and protect them from further treatment. The damaged cells release the protein by secretion into the environment. The separated WNT16B interacts with the tumor cells in the vicinity and enables them to grow, which may cause resistance to therapy. The result of a mouse model can not be automatically transferred to humans. It is not yet known if the effect observed in a tumor therapy of humans also occurs.

Wnt16 is palmitoylated twice, first at S227, and then to C81, thereby making it to a membrane-bound protein, and is bound to the cell surface by exocytosis. Wnt16 is at N143, N189 and N311 N- glycosylated.