cwn-2 encodes one of five C. elegans Wnt signaling molecules that is homologous to mammalian Wnt5; cwn-2 is required for proper placement of the nerve ring and anterior cells along the anterior/posterior axis; cwn-2 also acts redundantly to specify cell fates during vulval development; CWN-2 appears to be required at the time of nerve ring development (comma stage of embryogenesis) for nerve ring placement and likely functions as a signaling ligand for receptors, such as CAM-1, that regulate axon guidance of the SIA and SIB neurons that plays a role in nerve ring placement; CWN-2, along with LIN-17, CAM-1, and DSH-1, functions as part of a Wnt signaling pathway that regulates ACR-16 localization to postsynaptic regions, a key component of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity; in embryos at the comma stage, a cwn-2::gfp reporter is expressed in the intestine and in pharyngeal muscle; in larvae and adults, cwn-2::gfp is seen in the intestine, pharynx, anterior body wall muscle, vulva and SMD head neurons.
Predicted to enable cytokine activity and frizzled binding activity. Involved in several processes, including neuroblast migration; neuron migration; and pattern specification process. Predicted to be located in extracellular space. Expressed in several structures, including P5.ppp; P7.paa; RME; pharynx; and rectal gland cell. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in several diseases, including autosomal dominant Robinow syndrome 1; endometrial carcinoma; and germ cell cancer (multiple). Is an ortholog of human WNT5A (Wnt family member 5A) and WNT5B (Wnt family member 5B).
Map position created from combination of previous interpolated map position (based on known location of sequence) and allele information. Therefore this is not a genetic map position based on recombination frequencies or genetic experiments. This was done on advice of the CGC.