Roles of lipids in Wnt secretion and signaling (A04)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: since 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 331351713

Lipids play essential roles in Wnt function, including the covalent attachment of fatty acids to Wnt proteins and as membrane domains in which Wnt-receptor complexes reside to initiate Wnt signaling. Deciphering how covalently attached fatty acids and membrane lipids that surround proteins of the Wnt signaling complex govern Wnt activity will provide fundamental insight into Wnt biology. By combining the expertise in lipid biology from the Brügger group and Wnt biology from the Boutros group, we aim to address these questions by utilizing chemical biology, biochemical reconstitution experiments and cell-based analyses to uncover novel principles to regulate Wnt functions.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1324: Mechanisms and functions of Wnt signaling
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Michael Boutros; Professorin Dr. Britta Brügger