The canonical way to make a heart: β-catenin and plakoglobin in heart development and remodeling

The main mediator of the canonical Wnt pathway, beta-catenin, is a major effector of embryonic development, postnatal tissue homeostasis, and adult tissue regeneration. The requirement for -beta catenin in cardiogenesis and embryogenesis has been well established. However, many questions regarding the molecular mechanisms by which beta-catenin and canonical Wnt signaling regulate these developmental processes remain unanswered. An interesting question that emerged from our studies concerns how beta-catenin signaling is modulated through interaction with other factors. Recent experimental data implicate new players in canonical Wnt signaling, particularly those which modulate beta-catenin function in many its biological processes, including cardiogenesis. One of the interesting candidates is plakoglobin, a little-studied member of the catenin family which shares several mechanistic and functional features with its close relative, beta-catenin. Here we have focused on the function of beta-catenin in cardiogenesis. We also summarize findings on plakoglobin signaling function and discuss possible interplays between beta-catenin and plakoglobin in the regulation of embryonic heart development.