Wnt inhibitory factor 1 is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''WIF1''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...
.
WIF1 is a
lipid
Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids includ ...
-binding protein that binds to
Wnt proteins and prevents them from triggering signalling.
Function
WNT proteins are extracellular signaling molecules involved in the control of
embryonic development. This gene encodes a secreted protein, which binds WNT proteins and inhibits their activities. This protein contains a WNT inhibitory factor (WIF) domain and 5 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. It may be involved in
mesoderm segmentation. This protein is found to be present in fish, amphibia and mammals.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{gene-12-stub