Frizzled-6 (Fz-6) is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''FZD6''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...
.
Members of the '
frizzled
Frizzled is a family of atypical G protein-coupled receptors that serve as receptors in the Wnt signaling pathway and other signaling pathways. When activated, Frizzled leads to activation of Dishevelled in the cytosol.
Species distribution
F ...
' gene family encode 7-transmembrane domain proteins that are receptors for WNT signaling proteins. The FZD6 protein contains a signal peptide, a cysteine-rich domain in the N-terminal extracellular region, and 7 transmembrane domains. However, unlike many other FZD family members, FDZ6 does not contain a C-terminal PDZ domain-binding motif.
Fz-6 is believed to be the receptor for the WNT4 ligand.
Interactions
Fz-6 has been shown to
interact
Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using innovative strategies to advocate for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organizat ...
with
secreted frizzled-related protein 1.
Model organisms
Model organisms have been used in the study of FXYD3 function. In 2004, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute showed that FZD6 controls hair patterning in mice,
and its human
homologue is understood to play a part in the formation of
hair whorl
A hair whorl is a patch of hair growing in a circular direction around a visible center point. Hair whorls occur in most hairy animals, on the body as well as on the head. Hair whorls, also known as crowns, swirls, or trichoglyphs, can be either ...
s and
cowlicks. A conditional
knockout mouse
A knockout mouse, or knock-out mouse, is a genetically modified mouse (''Mus musculus'') in which researchers have inactivated, or " knocked out", an existing gene by replacing it or disrupting it with an artificial piece of DNA. They are importa ...
line called ''Fxyd3
tm1a(KOMP)Wtsi'' was generated at the
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Sanger Institute, previously known as The Sanger Centre and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, is a non-profit British genomics and genetics research institute, primarily funded by the Wellcome Trust.
It is located on the Wellcome Ge ...
.
Male and female animals underwent a standardized
phenotypic screen
In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological prop ...
to determine the effects of deletion.
Additional screens performed: - In-depth immunological phenotyping
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{G protein-coupled receptors, g4
G protein-coupled receptors