WNT family of secreted-type glycoproteins play key roles in carcinogenesis and embryogenesis. We have cloned and characterized human WNT2B/WNT13, WNT3, WNT3A, WNT5B, WNT6, WNT7B, WNT8A, WNT8B, WNT10A, WNT10B, WNT11, WNT14 and WNT14B/WNT15 using bioinformatics and cDNA-PCR, and also reported frequent up-regulation of WNT2 in primary gastric cancer. Here, expression and regulation of WNT1 in human cancer were investigated using cDNA-PCR. WNT1 mRNA was relatively highly expressed in OKAJIMA cells (gastric cancer) and BxPC-3 cells (pancreatic cancer). Expression of WNT1 mRNA was up-regulated in 5 out of 10 cases of primary gastric cancer. Effects of β-estradiol on expression of human WNT1 in MCF-7 cells (breast cancer) was next investigated, because mouse Wnt-1 induces mammary carcinogenesis even in estrogen receptor α (ERα) knockout mice. Expression of WNT1 mRNA was significantly up-regulated by β-estradiol in MCF-7 cells. WNT1 was found to be one of estrogen target genes in human MCF-7 cells, which in part explains Wnt1-induced mammary carcinogenesis in ERα knockout mice.

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