SWD3; BIG-3; WDR5

WD-repeat protein 5 (WDR5, also designated BMP-2-induced gene 3 kb or BIG-3) belongs to the family of WD-40 repeat proteins, and is essential for vertebrate development, Hox gene activation and global H3K4 trimethylation. WDR5 is a conserved subunit of Trithorax (TRX) histone methyltransferase complexes that selectively binds to dimethylated Lys4 (K4me2) in Histone H3 to promote K4 trimethylation by TRX. It is expressed in osteoblasts, chondrocytes, osteocytes and marrow stromal cells. The WDR5 protein contains 7 WD-repeats, which may play a role in its function of accelerating osteoblast differentiation. The WNT gene family consists of structurally related genes which encode secreted signaling proteins. These proteins have been implicated in oncogenesis and in several developmental processes, including regulation of cell fate and patterning during embryogenesis. This gene is a member of the WNT gene family. It encodes a protein which shows 98%, 98% and 87% amino acid identity to the mouse, rat and the xenopus Wnt5A protein, respectively. The experiments performed in Xenopus laevis embryos identified that human frizzled-5 (hFz5) is the receptor for the Wnt5A ligand and the Wnt5A/hFz5 signaling mediates axis induction.