Rabbit polyclonal antibody to Wnt~1 (G331)

Products of the highly conserved Wnt gene family play key roles in regulating cellular growth and differentiation. The prototype member of the Wnt gene family, Wnt~1, is a cysteine~rich secreted glycoprotein that associates with cell membranes and likely functions as a key regulator of cellular adhesion. β~catenin, a cadherin~binding cellular adhesion protein which also binds the tumor supressor gene APC, has been identified as a downstream target of a signal transduction pathway mediated by Wnt~1. Wnt~1 is essential for normal development of the embryonic nervous system and its expression is normally limited to the embryonic neural tube and adult spermatids. When improperly expressed in mammary tissue, Wnt~1 contributes to hyperplasia and tumorigenic progression. Wnt family members have been shown to interact with Sonic hedgehog (Shh) in vivo to induce myogenesis in somitic tissue.