LGR4 and LGR5 are R‐spondin receptors mediating Wnt/β‐catenin and Wnt/PCP signalling

A Glinka, C Dolde, N Kirsch, YL Huang… - EMBO …, 2011 - embopress.org
A Glinka, C Dolde, N Kirsch, YL Huang, O Kazanskaya, D Ingelfinger, M Boutros, CM Cruciat…
EMBO reports, 2011embopress.org
R‐spondins are secreted Wnt signalling agonists, which regulate embryonic patterning and
stem cell proliferation, but whose mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here we show
that R‐spondins bind to the orphan G‐protein‐coupled receptors LGR4 and LGR5 by their
Furin domains. Gain‐and loss‐of‐function experiments in mammalian cells and Xenopus
embryos indicate that LGR4 and LGR5 promote R‐spondin‐mediated Wnt/β‐catenin and
Wnt/PCP signalling. R‐spondin‐triggered β‐catenin signalling requires Clathrin, while …
R‐spondins are secreted Wnt signalling agonists, which regulate embryonic patterning and stem cell proliferation, but whose mechanism of action is poorly understood. Here we show that R‐spondins bind to the orphan G‐protein‐coupled receptors LGR4 and LGR5 by their Furin domains. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments in mammalian cells and Xenopus embryos indicate that LGR4 and LGR5 promote R‐spondin‐mediated Wnt/β‐catenin and Wnt/PCP signalling. R‐spondin‐triggered β‐catenin signalling requires Clathrin, while Wnt3a‐mediated β‐catenin signalling requires Caveolin‐mediated endocytosis, suggesting that internalization has a mechanistic role in R‐spondin signalling.
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