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Cysteine-rich Wnt-binding domain of the frizzled 4 (Fz4) receptor. The cysteine-rich domain (CRD) is an essential extracellular portion of the frizzled 4 (Fz4) receptor, and is required for binding Wnt proteins, which play fundamental roles in many aspects of early development, such as cell and tissue polarity, neural synapse formation, and the regulation of proliferation. Fz proteins serve as Wnt receptors for multiple signal transduction pathways, including both beta-catenin dependent and -independent cellular signaling, as well as the planar cell polarity pathway and the Ca(2+) modulating signaling pathway. CRD containing Fzs have been found in diverse species from amoebas to mammals. 10 different frizzled proteins are found in vertebrata. Frizzled 4 (Fz4) activates the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinase C of the Wnt/Ca(2+) signaling pathway during retinal angiogenesis. Mutations in Fz4 lead to familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR), a hereditary ocular disorder characterized by failure of the peripheral retinal vascularization. In addition, the interplay between Fz4 and norrin as a receptor-ligand pair plays an important role in vascular development in the retina and inner ear in a Wnt-independent manner. |
Jiyao W et al.(2023). "The conserved domain database in 2023.",