LRP5/6 are transmembrane receptors that are involved in Wnt signal transduction []. Binding of the Wnts to LRP5/6 and their participating co-receptors, the frizzled (Fz) family of 7 transmembrane spanning proteins, results in a series of downstream intracelullar events, in particular the inhibition by subsequent phosphorylation of GSK-3beta []. LRP5/6 have been shown to play an role in bone homeostasis []. Mutations in the LRP5 gene cause vitreoretinopathy, exudative 4 (EVR4), a disorder of the retinal vasculature characterised by an abrupt cessation of growth of peripheral capillaries, leading to an avascular peripheral retina []. Mutations in the LRP6 gene cause coronary artery disease, autosomal dominant, 2 (ADCAD2), a common heart disease characterised by reduced or absent blood flow in one or more of the arteries that encircle and supply the heart [].
