Autocrine WNT2 signaling in fibroblasts promotes colorectal cancer progression.

The canonical WNT signaling pathway is crucial for intestinal stem cell renewal and aberrant WNT signaling is an early event in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Here, we show for the first time that WNT2 is one of the most significantly induced genes in CRC stroma as compared to normal stroma. The impact of stromal WNT2 on carcinoma formation or progression was not addressed so far.

Ccdc181 is a microtubule-binding protein that interacts with Hook1 in haploid male germ cells and localizes to the sperm tail and motile cilia.

Disruption of murine Hook1 results in a disturbed spermatogenesis and consequently leads to male infertility in mice. Within these mice abnormal sperm development starts with a disorganization of the microtubular manchette in elongating spermatids that leads to an abnormal head shape as well as to distinctive structural changes in the flagella of the sperm. To elucidate Hook1 function in male germ cell differentiation a yeast two-hybrid screen was performed using a murine testicular library, which leads to the identification of several putative Hook1 interacting proteins.

Rin-like, a novel regulator of endocytosis, acts as guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rab5a and Rab22.

RIN proteins serve as guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Rab5a. They are characterized by the presence of a RIN homology domain and a C-terminal Vps9 domain. Currently three family members have been described and analyzed.