Wnt7b activates canonical signaling in epithelial and vascular smooth muscle cells through interactions with Fzd1, Fzd10, and LRP5

Wnt7b is a Wnt ligand that has been demonstrated to play critical roles in several developmental processes, including lung airway and vascular development and chorion-allantois fusion during placental development. Wnt signaling involves the binding of Wnt ligands to cell surface receptors of the frizzled family and coreceptors of the LRP5/6 family. However, little is known of the ligand-receptor specificity exhibited by different Wnts, Fzds, and LRPs in Wnt signaling. Expression analysis of Fzds and LRF5/6 in the developing lung and vasculature showed that Fzd1, -4, -7, and -10 and LRP5/6 are expressed in tissue-specific patterns during lung development. Fzd1, -4, and -7 are expressed primarily in the developing lung mesenchyme, and Fzd10 is expressed in airway epithelium. LRF5 and LRP6 are expressed in airway epithelium during lung development, whereas LRP5 but not LRP6 expression is observed in the muscular component of large blood vessels, including the aorta. Cell transfection studies demonstrate that Wnt7b can activate the canonical Wnt pathway but not the noncanonical Wnt pathway in a cell-specific manner. Biochemical analysis demonstrates that Wnt7b can bind to Fzd1 and -10 on the cell surface and cooperatively activate canonical Wnt signaling with these receptors in the presence of LR-P5. Together, these data demonstrate that Wnt7b signals through Fzd1 and -10 and LRP5 and implicate these Wnt coreceptors in the regulation of lung airway and vascular development.