Wingless Type MMTV Integration Site Family, Member 5A (WNT5A)

WNT5A is a member of the WNT gene family. It encodes a protein which shows 98%, 98% and 87% amino acid identity to the mouse, rat and the xenopus Wnt5A protein, respectively. The experiments performed in Xenopus laevis embryos identified that human frizzled-5 (hFz5) is the receptor for the Wnt5A ligand and the Wnt5A/hFz5 signaling mediates axis induction.In the presence of a chemokine gradient, this Wnt-mediated receptor-actin-myosin polarity structure accumulates asymmetrically at the cell periphery, where it triggers membrane contractility and nuclear movement in the direction of membrane retraction. The process requires endosome trafficking, is associated with multivesicular bodies, and is regulated by Wnt5a through the small guanosine triphosphates Rab4 and RhoB.