Ror2 modulates the canonical Wnt signaling in lung epithelial cells through cooperation with Fzd2

Changgong Li¹ , Hongyan Chen¹ , Lingyan Hu¹ , Yiming Xing¹ , Tomoyo Sasaki¹ , Maria F Villosis¹ , John Li¹ , Michiru Nishita² , Yasuhiro Minami² and Parviz Minoo¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA

²Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, Japan

author email corresponding author email

BMC Molecular Biology 2008, 9:11doi:10.1186/1471-2199-9-11


Published:	23 January 2008

Abstract

Background

Wnt signaling is mediated through 1) the beta-catenin dependent canonical pathway and, 2) the beta-catenin independent pathways. Multiple receptors, including Fzds, Lrps, Ror2 and Ryk, are involved in Wnt signaling. Ror2 is a single-span transmembrane receptor-tyrosine kinase (RTK). The functions of Ror2 in mediating the non-canonical Wnt signaling have been well established. The role of Ror2 in canonical Wnt signaling is not fully understood.

Results

Here we report that Ror2 also positively modulates Wnt3a-activated canonical signaling in a lung carcinoma, H441 cell line. This activity of Ror2 is dependent on cooperative interactions with Fzd2 but not Fzd7. In addition, Ror2-mediated enhancement of canonical signaling requires the extracellular CRD, but not the intracellular PRD domain of Ror2. We further provide evidence that the positive effect of Ror2 on canonical Wnt signaling is inhibited by Dkk1 and Krm1 suggesting that Ror2 enhances an Lrp-dependent STF response.

Conclusion

The current study demonstrates the function of Ror2 in modulating canonical Wnt signaling. These findings support a functional scheme whereby regulation of Wnt signaling is achieved by cooperative functions of multiple mediators.