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Cardiogenesis is inhibited by canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signalling and stimulated by non-canonical Wnt11/JNK signalling, but how these two signalling pathways crosstalk is currently unknown. Here, we show that Wnt/beta-catenin signalling restricts cardiogenesis via inhibition of GATA gene expression, as experimentally reinstating GATA function overrides beta-catenin-mediated inhibition and restores cardiogenesis. Furthermore, we show that GATA transcription factors in turn directly regulate Wnt11 gene expression, and that Wnt11 is required to a significant degree for mediating the cardiogenesis-promoting function of GATA transcription factors. These results demonstrate that GATA factors occupy a central position between canonical and non-canonical Wnt signalling in regulating heart muscle formation.

Original publication

DOI

10.1242/dev.026443

Type

Journal article

Journal

Development

Publication Date

10/2008

Volume

135

Pages

3185 - 3190

Keywords

Animals, GATA Transcription Factors, GATA4 Transcription Factor, GATA6 Transcription Factor, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Heart, Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5, Homeodomain Proteins, RNA, Messenger, Signal Transduction, Transcription Factors, Wnt Proteins, Xenopus, Xenopus Proteins, beta Catenin