Flamingo, a cadherin-type receptor involved in the Drosophila planar polarity pathway, can block signaling via the canonical wnt pathway in Xenopus laevis

The Flamingo gene encodes a seven-pass transmembrane receptor of the cadherin super family and is one of a growing number of components identified as being necessary for the establishment of planar polarity in the Drosophila wing. Although vertebrate homologues of Flamingo have been identified in both man and mice, no function has as yet been ascribed to them. Here, we report the cloning of the Xenopus homologue of Flamingo (XFmi). XFmi is expressed in the dorsal ectoderm during gastrulation and in the forebrain and midbrain subsequently. We show that ectopic expression of the murine Flamingo gene can prevent the wnt mediated posteriorisation of the neural plate by interfering with the canonical wnt signalling pathway.