1. Dkk2 plays an essential role in the corneal fate of the ocular surface epithelium.
- Author
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Mukhopadhyay M, Gorivodsky M, Shtrom S, Grinberg A, Niehrs C, Morasso MI, and Westphal H
- Subjects
- Animals, Biomarkers, Cornea embryology, Epidermis growth & development, Epidermis metabolism, Epithelium embryology, Epithelium growth & development, Epithelium metabolism, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins deficiency, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins genetics, Keratinocytes metabolism, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Mutation genetics, Phenotype, Cornea growth & development, Cornea metabolism, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins metabolism
- Abstract
The Dkk family of secreted cysteine-rich proteins regulates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling by interacting with the Wnt co-receptor Lrp5/6. Here, we show that Dkk2-mediated repression of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is essential to promote differentiation of the corneal epithelial progenitor cells into a non-keratinizing stratified epithelium. Complete transformation of the corneal epithelium into a stratified epithelium that expresses epidermal-specific differentiation markers and develops appendages such as hair follicles is achieved in the absence of the Dkk2 gene function. We show that Dkk2 is a key regulator of the corneal versus epidermal fate of the ocular surface epithelium.
- Published
- 2006
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