Caspi Michal, Lender Yan, Rosin-Arbesfeld Rina
Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Grey Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2025 Aug 29;82(1):322. doi: 10.1007/s00018-025-05863-x.
Wnt signaling is one of the cell's most complex and important signal transduction pathways. This pathway, which is divided into additional sub-pathways, regulates cell growth, motility, polarity, and differentiation during embryonic development as well as stem cell regeneration. In addition, the Wnt cascades are involved in maintaining different aspects of adult homeostasis. The Wnt ligands, which normally initiate this cascade, are secreted glycoproteins that bind specific receptors and co-receptors to execute their intracellular signaling activity. The Wnt pathways have been extensively studied in anchored cells and in tissues. However, recent evidence now shows that the Wnt cascades are functional in the circulation and that these important signals can affect different circulating blood cells by traveling through the bloodstream. Wnt signaling can function in both paracrine and autocrine manner; however, in the current review, we will discuss the exocrine properties of the pathway and address the following topics: the source of Wnt ligands and their ability to travel in the bloodstream; which cell populations express Wnt signaling components; and finally, what are the physiological roles of the Wnt cascade in the different circulating blood cells.
Wnt信号传导是细胞中最复杂且最重要的信号转导通路之一。该通路可进一步细分为其他子通路，在胚胎发育以及干细胞再生过程中调节细胞生长、运动、极性和分化。此外，Wnt级联反应参与维持成体稳态的多个方面。通常启动此级联反应的Wnt配体是分泌型糖蛋白，它们与特定受体和共受体结合以执行其细胞内信号传导活性。Wnt通路已在贴壁细胞和组织中得到广泛研究。然而，最近的证据表明，Wnt级联反应在循环系统中具有功能，并且这些重要信号可通过血液循环影响不同的循环血细胞。Wnt信号传导可以以旁分泌和自分泌方式发挥作用；然而，在本综述中，我们将讨论该通路的外分泌特性，并探讨以下主题：Wnt配体的来源及其在血液中循环的能力；哪些细胞群体表达Wnt信号传导成分；最后，Wnt级联反应在不同循环血细胞中的生理作用是什么。
