Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hepatic organogenesis

Kari Nejak-Bowen and Satdarshan P.S. Monga

volume 4 | issue 2

april/may/june 2008
Pages: 92 - 99

Purchase article for $19

Subscribe to this journal for $59/year

» Log in

Wnt/β-catenin signaling has come to the forefront of liver biology in recent years. This pathway regulates key pathophysiological events inherent to the liver including development, regeneration, and cancer, by dictating several biological processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, adhesion, zonation and metabolism in various cells of the liver. This review will examine the studies that have uncovered the relevant roles of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during the process of liver development. We will discuss the potential roles of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during the phases of development, including competence, hepatic induction, expansion, and morphogenesis. In addition, we will discuss the role of negative and positive regulation of this pathway and how the temporal expression of Wnt/β-catenin can direct key processes during hepatic development. We will also identify some of the major deficits in the current understanding of the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in liver development in order to provide a perspective for future studies. Thus, this review will provide a contextual overview of the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during hepatic organogenesis.

Authors

Kari Nejak-Bowen

Departments of Pathology and Medicine; University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Satdarshan P.S. Monga