Open AccessTwo Members of the Tcf Family Implicated in Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling during Embryogenesis in the Mouse
Author(s) -
Vladimír Kor̆ínek,
Nick Barker,
Karl Willert,
Miranda Molenaar,
Jeroen P. Roose,
Gerry T. M. Wagenaar,
Marry Markman,
W. H. Lamers,
Olivier Destrée,
Hans Clevers
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.18.3.1248
Subject(s) - biology , wnt signaling pathway , beta catenin , catenin , microbiology and biotechnology , transcription factor , tcf4 , embryogenesis , embryonic stem cell , embryo , transcription (linguistics) , lrp6 , genetics , gene , signal transduction , enhancer , linguistics , philosophy
Tcf transcription factors interact with beta-catenin and Armadillo to mediate Wnt/Wingless signaling. We now report the characterization of genes encoding two murine members of the Tcf family, mTcf-3 and mTcf-4. mTcf-3 mRNA is ubiquitously present in embryonic day 6.5 (E6.5) mouse embryos but gradually disappears over the next 3 to 4 days. mTcf-4 expression occurs first at E10.5 and is restricted to di- and mesencephalon and the intestinal epithelium during embryogenesis. The mTcf-3 and mTcf-4 proteins bind a canonical Tcf DNA motif and can complex with the transcriptional coactivator beta-catenin. Overexpression of Wnt-1 in a mammary epithelial cell line leads to the formation of a nuclear complex between beta-catenin and Tcf proteins and to Tcf reporter gene transcription. These data demonstrate a direct link between Wnt stimulation and beta-catenin/Tcf transcriptional activation and imply a role for mTcf-3 and -4 in early Wnt-driven developmental decisions in the mouse embryo.