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β-Catenin signaling controls the development and maintenance of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the blood–retina barrier (BRB), but the division of labor and degree of redundancy between the two principal ligand–receptor systems—the Norrin and Wnt7a/Wnt7b systems—are incompletely defined. Here, we present a loss-of-function genetic analysis of postnatal BBB and BRB maintenance in mice that shows striking threshold and partial redundancy effects. In particular, the combined loss of Wnt7a and Norrin or Wnt7a and Frizzled4 (Fz4) leads to anatomically localized BBB defects that are far more severe than observed with loss of Wnt7a, Norrin, or Fz4 alone. In the cerebellum, selective loss of Wnt7a in glia combined with ubiquitous loss of Norrin recapitulates the phenotype observed with ubiquitous loss of both Wnt7a and Norrin, implying that glia are the source of Wnt7a in the cerebellum. Tspan12, a coactivator of Norrin signaling in the retina, is also active in BBB maintenance but is less potent than Norrin, consistent with a model in which Tspan12 enhances the amplitude of the Norrin signal in vascular endothelial cells. Finally, in the context of a partially impaired Norrin system, the retina reveals a small contribution to BRB development from the Wnt7a/Wnt7b system. Taken together, these experiments define the extent of CNS region-specific cooperation for several components of the Norrin and Wnt7a/Wnt7b systems, and they reveal substantial regional heterogeneity in the extent to which partially redundant ligands, receptors, and coactivators maintain the BBB and BRB.

ObjectiveBoth excessive and insufficient activation of WNT signalling results in cartilage breakdown and osteoarthritis. WNT16 is upregulated in the articular cartilage following injury and in osteoarthritis. Here, we investigate the function of WNT16 in osteoarthritis and the downstream molecular mechanisms.MethodsOsteoarthritis was induced by destabilisation of the medial meniscus in wild-type and WNT16-deficient mice. Molecular mechanisms and downstream effects were studied in vitro and in vivo in primary cartilage progenitor cells and primary chondrocytes. The pathway downstream of WNT16 was studied in primary chondrocytes and using the axis duplication assay in Xenopus.ResultsWNT16-deficient mice developed more severe osteoarthritis with reduced expression of lubricin and increased chondrocyte apoptosis. WNT16 supported the phenotype of cartilage superficial-zone progenitor cells and lubricin expression. Increased osteoarthritis in WNT16-deficient mice was associated with excessive activation of canonical WNT signalling. In vitro, high doses of WNT16 weakly activated canonical WNT signalling, but, in co-stimulation experiments, WNT16 reduced the capacity of WNT3a to activate the canonical WNT pathway. In vivo, WNT16 rescued the WNT8-induced primary axis duplication in Xenopus embryos.ConclusionsIn osteoarthritis, WNT16 maintains a balanced canonical WNT signalling and prevents detrimental excessive activation, thereby supporting the homeostasis of progenitor cells.

In a new study, Yasuhiro Kobayashi and his colleagues show that noncanonical Wnt signaling regulates balanced osteoblast-induced osteoclastogenesis during normal physiology and that this pathway is perturbed in pathophysiological states, such as rheumatoid arthritis. These results explain further how osteoblasts cross-talk with preosteoclasts to ensure matched bone resorption with bone formation during skeletal homeostasis in the adult and also suggest a new target to treat arthritis. The signaling molecule Wnt regulates bone homeostasis through β-catenin–dependent canonical and β-catenin–independent noncanonical pathways. Impairment of canonical Wnt signaling causes bone loss in arthritis and osteoporosis; however, it is unclear how noncanonical Wnt signaling regulates bone resorption. Wnt5a activates noncanonical Wnt signaling through receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (Ror) proteins. We showed that Wnt5a-Ror2 signaling between osteoblast-lineage cells and osteoclast precursors enhanced osteoclastogenesis. Osteoblast-lineage cells expressed Wnt5a, whereas osteoclast precursors expressed Ror2. Mice deficient in either Wnt5a or Ror2 , and those with either osteoclast precursor-specific Ror2 deficiency or osteoblast-lineage cell-specific Wnt5a deficiency showed impaired osteoclastogenesis. Wnt5a-Ror2 signals enhanced receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) expression in osteoclast precursors by activating JNK and recruiting c-Jun on the promoter of the gene encoding RANK, thereby enhancing RANK ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis. A soluble form of Ror2 acted as a decoy receptor of Wnt5a and abrogated bone destruction in mouse arthritis models. Our results suggest that the Wnt5a-Ror2 pathway is crucial for osteoclastogenesis in physiological and pathological environments and represents a therapeutic target for bone diseases, including arthritis.

This study identifies a shift from canonical to non-canonical Wnt signalling in ageing haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs); elevated expression of Wnt5a in aged HSCs has a causal role in stem-cell ageing, and this is mediated by the small Rho GTPase Cdc42. Alternate Wnt signals in ageing stem cells The ageing of stem cells is thought to disrupt tissue homeostasis in organs heavily dependent on stem-cell activity, such as the intestine, skin and blood. The underlying mechanistic cause of ageing of stem cells is still not well defined. Here Hartmut Geiger and colleagues identify an unexpected shift from the canonical Wnt signalling pathway — the form commonly observed — to a non-canonical variant in ageing haematopoietic stem cells in mice. They conclude that elevated expression of Wnt5a has a causal role in stem-cell ageing, mediated by the small Rho GTPase Cdc42. Genetic targeting of Wnt5a both attenuates stem-cell ageing and induces functional rejuvenation. Many organs with a high cell turnover (for example, skin, intestine and blood) are composed of short-lived cells that require continuous replenishment by somatic stem cells 1 , 2 . Ageing results in the inability of these tissues to maintain homeostasis and it is believed that somatic stem-cell ageing is one underlying cause of tissue attrition with age or age-related diseases. Ageing of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is associated with impaired haematopoiesis in the elderly 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . Despite a large amount of data describing the decline of HSC function on ageing, the molecular mechanisms of this process remain largely unknown, which precludes rational approaches to attenuate stem-cell ageing. Here we report an unexpected shift from canonical to non-canonical Wnt signalling in mice due to elevated expression of Wnt5a in aged HSCs, which causes stem-cell ageing. Wnt5a treatment of young HSCs induces ageing-associated stem-cell apolarity, reduction of regenerative capacity and an ageing-like myeloid–lymphoid differentiation skewing via activation of the small Rho GTPase Cdc42. Conversely, Wnt5a haploinsufficiency attenuates HSC ageing, whereas stem-cell-intrinsic reduction of Wnt5a expression results in functionally rejuvenated aged HSCs. Our data demonstrate a critical role for stem-cell-intrinsic non-canonical Wnt5a signalling in HSC ageing.

Wnts make up a large family of extracellular signaling molecules that play crucial roles in development and disease. A subset of noncanonical Wnts signal independently of the transcription factor β-catenin by a mechanism that regulates key morphogenetic movements during embryogenesis. The best characterized noncanonical Wnt, Wnt5a, has been suggested to signal via a variety of different receptors, including the Ror family of receptor tyrosine kinases, the Ryk receptor tyrosine kinase, and the Frizzled seventransmembrane receptors. Whether one or several of these receptors mediates the effects of Wnt5a in vivo is not known. Through loss-of-function experiments in mice, we provide conclusive evidence that Ror receptors mediate Wnt5a-dependent processes in vivo and identify Dishevelled phosphorylation as a physiological target of Wnt5a-Ror signaling. The absence of Ror signaling leads to defects that mirror phenotypes observed in WntSa null mutant mice, including decreased branching of sympathetic neuron axons and major defects in aspects of embryonic development that are dependent upon morphogenetic movements, such as severe truncation of the caudal axis, the limbs, and facial structures. These findings suggest that Wnt5a–Ror–Dishevelled signaling constitutes a core noncanonical Wnt pathway that is conserved through evolution and is crucial during embryonic development.

Wnt5a regulates multiple intracellular signalling cascades, but how Wnt5a determines the specificity of these pathways is not well understood. This study examined whether the internalization of Wnt receptors affects the ability of Wnt5a to regulate its signalling pathways. Wnt5a activated Rac in the β‐catenin‐independent pathway, and Frizzled2 (Fz2) and Ror1 or Ror2 were required for this action. Fz2 was internalized through a clathrin‐mediated route in response to Wnt5a, and inhibition of clathrin‐dependent internalization suppressed the ability of Wnt5a to activate Rac. As another action of Wnt5a, it inhibited Wnt3a‐dependent lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 6 (LRP6) phosphorylation and β‐catenin accumulation. Wnt3a‐dependent phosphorylation of LRP6 was enhanced in Wnt5a knockout embryonic fibroblasts. Fz2 was also required for the Wnt3a‐dependent accumulation of β‐catenin, and Wnt5a competed with Wnt3a for binding to Fz2 in vitro and in intact cells, thereby inhibiting the β‐catenin pathway. This inhibitory action of Wnt5a was not affected by the impairment of clathrin‐dependent internalization. These results suggest that Wnt5a regulates distinct pathways through receptor internalization‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms.

ObjectivesWnt16 is implicated in bone fracture and bone mass accrual both in animals and humans. However, its functional roles and molecular mechanism in chondrocyte differentiation and osteoarthritis (OA) pathophysiology remain largely undefined. In this study, we analysed its mechanistic association and functional relationship in OA progression in chondrocyte lineage.MethodsThe role of Wnt16 during skeletal development was examined by Col2a1-Wnt16 transgenic mice and Wnt16fl/fl;Col2a1-Cre (Wnt16-cKO) mice. OA progression was assessed by micro-CT analysis and Osteoarthritis Research Society International score after anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) surgery with Wnt16 manipulation by adenovirus intra-articular injection. The molecular mechanism was investigated in vitro using 3D chondrocyte pellet culture and biochemical analyses. Histological analysis was performed in mouse joints and human cartilage specimens.ResultsWnt16 overexpression in chondrocytes in mice significantly inhibited chondrocyte hypertrophy during skeletal development. Wnt16 deficiency exaggerated OA progression, whereas intra-articular injection of Ad-Wnt16 markedly attenuated ACLT-induced OA. Cellular and molecular analyses showed that, instead of β-catenin and calcium pathways, Wnt16 activated the planar cell polarity (PCP) and JNK pathway by interacting mainly with AP2b1, and to a lesser extend Ror2 and CD146, and subsequently induced PTHrP expression through phosphor-Raptor mTORC1 pathway.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that Wnt16 activates PCP/JNK and crosstalks with mTORC1-PTHrP pathway to inhibit chondrocyte hypertrophy. Our preclinical study suggests that Wnt16 may be a potential therapeutic target for OA treatment.

Angiogenesis regulation in the retina Richard Lang and colleagues identify a mechanism by which myeloid cells regulate the pattern of blood-vessel branching in the post-natal retina. They show that macrophages inhibit branching by secreting Wnt ligands that use a non-canonical pathway to induce secretion of the VEGF inhibitory receptor Flt1. Myeloid cells are a feature of most tissues. Here we show that during development, retinal myeloid cells (RMCs) produce Wnt ligands to regulate blood vessel branching. In the mouse retina, where angiogenesis occurs postnatally 1 , somatic deletion in RMCs of the Wnt ligand transporter Wntless 2 , 3 results in increased angiogenesis in the deeper layers. We also show that mutation of Wnt5a and Wnt11 results in increased angiogenesis and that these ligands elicit RMC responses via a non-canonical Wnt pathway. Using cultured myeloid-like cells and RMC somatic deletion of Flt1 , we show that an effector of Wnt-dependent suppression of angiogenesis by RMCs is Flt1, a naturally occurring inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 4 , 5 , 6 . These findings indicate that resident myeloid cells can use a non-canonical, Wnt–Flt1 pathway to suppress angiogenic branching.

Novel pathway specifies haematopoietic stem cells The identification of factors that regulate the earliest steps of haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) formation is of potential therapeutic relevance. Clements et al . have identified a new genetic regulatory network that is required for HSC specification in vertebrates. They report that non-canonical Wnt signalling by Wnt16 is required for somitic expression of Notch ligands deltaC and deltaD , which in turn leads to HSC specification. Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a self-renewing population of cells that continuously replenish all blood and immune cells during the lifetime of an individual 1 , 2 . HSCs are used clinically to treat a wide array of diseases, including acute leukaemias and congenital blood disorders, but obtaining suitable numbers of cells and finding immune-compatible donors remain serious problems. These difficulties have led to an interest in the conversion of embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells into HSCs, which is not possible using current methodologies. To accomplish this goal, it is critical to understand the native mechanisms involved in the specification of HSCs during embryonic development. Here we demonstrate in zebrafish that Wnt16 controls a novel genetic regulatory network required for HSC specification. Non-canonical signalling by Wnt16 is required for somitic expression of the Notch ligands deltaC ( dlc ) and deltaD ( dld ), and these ligands are, in turn, required for the establishment of definitive haematopoiesis. Notch signalling downstream of Dlc and Dld is earlier than, and distinct from, known cell-autonomous requirements for Notch, strongly suggesting that novel Notch-dependent relay signal(s) induce the first HSCs in parallel to other established pathways. Our results demonstrate that somite-specific gene expression is required for the production of haemogenic endothelium.

Intestinal epithelium has the capacity to self-renew and generate differentiated cells through the existence of two types of epithelial stem cells: active crypt base columnar cells (CBCs) and quiescent +4 cells. The behaviors of these cells are regulated both by intrinsic programs and by extrinsic signals sent by neighboring cells, which define the niche. It is clear that the ß-catenin pathway acts as an essential intrinsic signal for the maintenance and proliferation of CBC, and it was recently proposed that Paneth cells provide a crucial niche by secreting Wingless/lnt (Wnt) ligands. Here, we examined the effect of disrupting the intestinal stem cell niche by inducible deletion of the transcription factor Mathi (Atohl), an essential driver of secretory cell differentiation. We found that complete loss of Paneth cells attributable to Mathi deficiency did not perturb the crypt architecture and allowed the maintenance and proliferation of CBCs. Indeed, Mathi-deficient crypt cells tolerated in vivo Paneth cell loss and maintained active ß-catenin signaling but could not grow ex vivo without exogenous Wnt, implying that, in vivo, underlying mucosal cells act as potential niche. Upon irradiation, Mathi-deficient crypt cells regenerated and CBCs continued cycling. Finally, CBC stem cells deficient in adenomatous polyposis coli (Ape) and Math1 were able to promote intestinal tumorigenesis. We conclude that in vivo, Mathi -deficient crypts counteract the absence of Paneth cell-derived Wnts and prevent CBC stem cell exhaustion.