Wnt/frizzled signaling during vertebrate retinal development.

Multiple signaling pathways are known to be involved in regulating development of the vertebrate neural retina. Recent publications have demonstrated that Wnt/Frizzled (Fz) signaling components are expressed in the developing retina and may play a fundamental role in retinogenesis. In this review, we summarize Wnt/Fz expression patterns in the developing vertebrate retina, mainly from chick and mouse, and compare them with Wnt/beta-catenin reporter activity. Consistent with the dynamic expression patterns of Wnt pathway components, evidence suggests that Wnt/Fz signaling has multiple roles during retinal development. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.