The FZD4 gene provides instructions for making a protein called frizzled-4. This protein is embedded in the outer membrane of many types of cells, where it is involved in transmitting chemical signals from outside the cell to the cell’s nucleus. Specifically, frizzled-4 participates in the Wnt signaling pathway, a series of steps that affect the way cells and tissues develop. Wnt signaling is important for cell division (proliferation), attachment of cells to one another (adhesion), cell movement (migration), and many other cellular activities.
Studies suggest that, at the cell surface, the frizzled-4 protein interacts with a protein called norrin (produced from the NDP gene). The two proteins fit together like a key in a lock. Researchers suspect that when norrin attaches (binds) to frizzled-4, it initiates a multi-step process that regulates the activity of certain genes. During early development, signaling by norrin and frizzled-4 plays a critical role in the specialization of cells in the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. This signaling pathway is also involved in the formation of blood vessels in the retina and in the inner ear.
Other Names
CD344; EVR1; FEVR; frizzled 4; frizzled family receptor 4; frizzled homolog 4 (Drosophila); Fz-4; FZD4_HUMAN; FZD4S; FzE4; GPCR; MGC34390; WNT receptor frizzled-4
Related Genetics Topics
Identifiers
- NCBI Gene: 8322
- OMIM: 604579
Source: MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
