Wnt proteins constitute a large family of secreted molecules that are involved in intercellular signalling during development. The name derives from the first 2 members of the family to be discovered: int-1 (mouse) and wingless (Drosophila) []. It is now recognised that Wnt signalling controls many cell fate decisions in a variety of different organisms, including mammals []. Wnt signalling has been implicated in tumourigenesis, early mesodermal patterning of the embryo, morphogenesis of the brain and kidneys, regulation of mammary gland proliferation and Alzheimer's disease [, ].Wnt-mediated signalling is believed to proceed initially through binding to cell surface receptors of the frizzled family; the signal is subsequently transduced through several cytoplasmic components to B-catenin, which enters the nucleus and activates the transcription of several genes important indevelopment []. Several non-canonical Wnt signalling pathways have also been elucidated that act independently of B-catenin. Canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling branches are highly interconnected, and cross-regulate each other [].Members of the Wnt gene family are defined by their sequence similarity to mouse Wnt-1 and Wingless in Drosophila. They encode proteins of ~350-400 residues in length, with orthologues identified in several, mostly vertebrate, species. Very little is known about the structure of Wnts as they are notoriously insoluble, but they share the following features characteristics of secretory proteins: a signal peptide, several potential N-glycosylation sites and 22 conserved cysteines []that are probably involved in disulphide bonds. The Wnt proteins seem to adhere to the plasma membrane of the secreting cells and are therefore likely to signal over only few cell diameters. Fifteen major Wnt gene families have been identified in vertebrates, with multiple subtypes within some classes.Wnt-4 cDNA was isolated from mouse using a PCR-based strategy, where it wasfound to be expressed in adult tissues, particularly in brain and lung [].Wnt-4 is believed to act downstream of progesterone signalling to playan important role in mammary gland development. Furthermore, mutationsin the Wnt-4 gene have been linked to kidney defects [].
This entry represents the carboxypeptidase domain (CPD) found in carboxypeptidase Z. Carboxypeptidase Z (CPZ; MEROPS identifier M14.012) belongs to subfamily M14B (N/E subfamily) of the M14 family of metallocarboxypeptidases (MCPs) []. CPZ is a secreted Zn-dependent enzyme whose biological function is largely unknown. Unlike other members of the N/E subfamily, CPZ has a bipartite structure, which consists of an N-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD) whose sequence is similar to Wnt-binding proteins, and a C-terminal CP catalytic domain that removes C-terminal Arg residues from substrates. CPZ is enriched in the extracellular matrix and is widely distributed during early embryogenesis [, ]. That the CRD of CPZ can bind to Wnt4 suggests that CPZ plays a role in Wnt signaling [, ].The carboxypeptidase A family can be divided into four subfamilies: M14A(carboxypeptidase A or digestive), M14B (carboxypeptidase H or regulatory), M14C (gamma-D-glutamyl-L-diamino acid peptidase I) and M14D (AGTPBP-1/Nna1-like proteins) [, ]. Members of subfamily M14B have longer C-termini than those of subfamily M14A [], and carboxypeptidase M (a member of the H family) is bound to the membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, unlike the majority of the M14 family, which are soluble []. The zinc ligands have been determined as two histidines and a glutamate,and the catalytic residue has been identified as a C-terminal glutamate,but these do not form the characteristic metalloprotease HEXXH motif [, ]. Members of the carboxypeptidase A family are synthesised as inactive molecules with propeptides that must be cleaved to activate the enzyme. Structural studies of carboxypeptidases A and B reveal the propeptide to exist as a globular domain, followed by an extended α-helix; this shields the catalytic site, without specifically binding to it, while the substrate-binding site is blocked by making specific contacts [, ].
