Ovarian cadherins, in addition to acting as structural (adhesion) molecules, also function as modulators of gene activity. The dual role of @entity12747 as an intracellular component of the cadherin adhesion complex and as a transcription factor provides a possible explanation for these cadherin effects. Because the transcriptional activity of @entity12747 is dependent on activation by the wnt signaling cascade, we examined whether components of this cascade are expressed in the @entity35 ovary. Using RT-PCR with degenerate primers on RNA from ovaries of hormone-stimulated immature @entity35 , we identified transcripts for @entity29972 and @entity69231 . RT-PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH) demonstrated that granulosa cells express @entity29972 mRNA. Because the sequence for @entity35 @entity69231 has not been reported, we obtained additional sequence by screening a @entity35 ovarian cDNA library. RT-PCR analysis, using primers designed from this @entity69231 cDNA sequence, failed to detect transcripts in the ovarian follicular compartment (granulosa and oocyte). ISH revealed that the ovarian surface epithelium expresses @entity69231 mRNA. Using a similar degenerate RT-PCR approach, we detected expression of a putative wnt receptor, @entity69232 ( @entity69232 ), and a cytoplasmic component of the wnt signaling cascade, disheveled-2 (dsh-2), in the @entity35 ovary. Further analyses using both RT-PCR and ISH indicated that granulosa cells express @entity69232 mRNA. The expression of @entity69231 transcripts in @entity35 ovarian surface epithelium prompted us to examine whether the homologous gene is expressed in @entity1 @entity43 cell lines. RT-PCR, using degenerate and specific primers for wnts, on RNA from five @entity43 cell lines confirmed the expression of transcripts for @entity69231 . Two additional wnt transcripts ( @entity28407 and @entity29974 ) were detected in the @entity5 cell lines and in the @entity35 ovary. These results demonstrate that transcripts corresponding to components of the wnt signaling cascade are expressed in the immature @entity35 ovary. The localization of these transcripts in specific ovarian compartments suggests that this signal transduction pathway may be involved in follicular development and ovarian function. Furthermore, because wnts have been implicated in the oncogenic transformation of epithelial cells, our results raise the possibility that aberrant wnt expression may be involved in ovarian tumorigenesis in @entity1 .

Wnt signaling in the ovary: identification and compartmentalized expression of XXXX , @entity69231 , and @entity69232 mRNAs.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human', 'humans'] @entity69231 :: ('116466(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['wnt-2b'] @entity43 :: ('MESH:D010051', 'Disease') :: ['ovarian cancer'] @entity28407 :: ('64566(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['wnt-5a'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer'] @entity69232 :: ('64558(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['frizzled-4', 'fzd-4'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rat', 'rats'] @entity29974 :: ('140584(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['wnt-11'] @entity29972 :: ('114487(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['wnt-2'] @entity12747 :: ('84353(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['beta-catenin']
@entity29972 :: (114487(Tax:10116),Gene) :: ['wnt-2']
