Modulation of WNT signaling activity is key to the formation of the embryonic head

The formation of the embryonic head begins with the assembly of the progenitor tissues of the brain, the head and face primordia and the foregut that are derived from the primary germ layers during gastrulation. Specification of the anterior-posterior polarity of major body parts and the morphogenesis of the head and brain specifically is driven by inductive signals including those mediated by BMP, Nodal, FGF and WNT. A critical role of β-catenin dependent WNT signalling activity for head morphogenesis has been revealed through the analysis of the phenotypic impact of loss of function mutation of an antagonist: DKK1, a transcriptional repressor: GSC; and the outcome of interaction of Dkk1 with genes coding three components of the canonical signalling pathway: the ligand WNT3, the co-receptor LRP6 and the transcriptional co-factor, β-catenin. The findings highlight the requirement of a stringent control of the timing, domain and level of canonical WNT signalling activity for the formation of the embryonic head.