Publications
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2021 – 2025
Dietary intake of the red meat-derived glycan Neu5Gc fuels colorectal cancer through up-regulation of Wnt signaling pathway. Cancer Lett. (2025). PubMed
Glycocalyx engineering with heparan sulfate mimetics attenuates Wnt activity during adipogenesis to promote glucose uptake and metabolism. J Biol Chem. (2023). PubMed
Wnt signaling and the regulation of pluripotency. Curr Top Dev Biol. (2023). PubMed
Preface. Curr Top Dev Biol. (2023). PubMed
Enrichment and Detection of Wnt Proteins from Cell Culture Media. Methods Mol Biol. (2022). PubMed
Do, M., Wu, C.C.N., Sonavane, P.R., Juarez, E.F., Adams, S.R., Ross, J., Rodriguez y Baena, A., Patel, C., Mesirov, J.P., Carson, D.A., Advani, S.J., Willert, K. A FZD7-specific antibody-drug conjugate induces ovarian tumor regression in preclinical models. Mol. Cancer Ther. (2021). PubMed
A Human Pleiotropic Multiorgan Condition Caused by Deficient Wnt Secretion. N Engl J Med. (2021). PubMed
Controlling Wnt Signaling Specificity and Implications for Targeting WNTs Pharmacologically. Handb Exp Pharmacol. (2021). PubMed
2016 – 2020
Gumber, D.*, Do, M.*, Suresh Kumar, N., Sonavane, P.R., Wu, C.C.N., Cruz, L.S., Grainger, S., Carson, D., Gaasterland, T., Willert, K. Selective activation of FZD7 promotes mesendodermal differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. ELife. (2020). PubMed
Grainger, S., Nguyen, N., Richter, J., Setayesh, J., Lonquich, B., Oon, C.H., Wozniak, J.M., Barahona, R., Kamei, C.N., Houston, J., Carrillo-Terrazas, M., Drummond, I.A., Gonzalez, D., Willert, K., Traver, D. EGFR is required for Wnt9a-Fzd9b signalling specificity in haematopoietic stem cells. Nat Cell Biol. (2019). PubMed
Grainger, S., Willert, K. Mechanisms of Wnt signaling and control. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. (2018). PubMed
Richter, J., Stanley, E.G., Ng, E.S., Elefanty, A.G., Traver, D., Willert, K. WNT9A Is a Conserved Regulator of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Development. Genes (Basel). (2018). PubMed
Grainger, S., Traver, D., Willert, K. Wnt Signaling in Hematological Malignancies. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. (2018). PubMed
Brafman, D., Willert, K. Wnt/β-catenin signaling during early vertebrate neural development. Developmental Neurobiology. (2017). PubMed
Huggins, I., Bos, T., Gaylord, O., Jessen, C., Lonquich, B., Puranen, A., Richter, J., Rossdam, C., Brafman, D., Gaasterland, T., Willert, K. The WNT target SP5 negatively regulates WNT transcriptional programs in human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Commun. (2017). PubMed
Richter, J., Traver, D., Willert, K. The role of Wnt signaling in hematopoietic stem cell development. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (2017). PubMed
Rodvold, J.J., Chiu, K.T., Hiramatsu, N., Nussbacher, J.K., Galimberti, V., Mahadevan, N.R., Willert, K., Lin, J.H., Zanetti, M. Intercellular transmission of the unfolded protein response promotes survival and drug resistance in cancer cells. Sci Signal. (2017). PubMed
A Wnt5 Activity Asymmetry and Intercellular Signaling via PCP Proteins Polarize Node Cells for Left-Right Symmetry Breaking. Dev Cell. (2017). PubMed
Grainger, S., Lonquich, B., Oon, C.H., Nguyen, N., Willert, K., Traver, D. CRISPR guide RNA validation in vitro. Zebrafish. (2016). PubMed
Prodigiosin inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling and exerts anticancer activity in breast cancer cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. (2016). PubMed
Grainger, S.*, Richter, J.*, Espín Palazón, R., Pouget, C., Lonquich, B., Wirth, S., Grassme, K. S., Herzog, W., Swift, M. R., Weinstein, B. M., Traver, D., Willert, K. Wnt9a is required for the aortic amplification of nascent hematopoietic stem cells. Cell Reports. (2016). PubMed
Belinson, H., Nakaatani, J., Babineau, B., Birnbaum, R., Ellegood, J., Bershteyn, M., McEvilly, R., Long, J., Willert, K., Klein, O., Ahituv, N., Lerch, J., Rosenfeld, M., Wynshaw-Boris, A. Prenatal β-catenin/Brn2/Tbr2 transcriptional cascade regulates adult social and stereotypic behaviors. Molecular Psychiatry. (2016). PubMed
Huggins, I., Brafman, D. and Willert, K. Methods to Manipulate and Monitor Wnt Signaling in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Methods Mol Biol. (2016). PubMed
2011 – 2015
Kumar, N., Richter, J., Cutts, J., Bush, K.T., Trujillo, C., Nigam, S.K., Gaasterland, T., Brafman, D., Willert, K. Generation of an expandable intermediate mesoderm restricted progenitor cell line from human pluripotent stem cells. ELife. (2015). PubMed
Aznar, N., Midde, K., Dunkel, Y., Lopez-Sanchez, I., Pavlova, Y., Marivin, A., Barbazán, J., Murray, F., Nitsche, U., Janssen, K.-P., Willert, K., Goel, A., Abal, M., Garcia-Marcos, M., Ghosh, P. Daple is a Novel Non-Receptor GEF Required for Trimeric G protein Activation in Wnt Signaling. ELife. (2015). PubMed
Ross, J., Busch, J., Mintz, E., Ng, D., Stanley, A., Brafman, D., Sutton, V.R., Van den Veyver, I., Willert, K. A rare human syndrome provides genetic evidence that WNT signaling is required for reprogramming of fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells. Cell Reports. (2014). PubMed
Moya, N., Gaasterland, T., Willert, K., Brafman, D. Endogenous WNT signaling regulates hESC-derived neural progenitor cell heterogeneity and specifies their regional identity. Stem Cell Reports. (2014). PubMed
Fernandez, A., Huggins, I. J., Perna, L., Brafman, D., Lu, D., Yao, S., Gaasterland, T., Carson, D., Willert K. The WNT receptor FZD7 is required for maintenance of the pluripotent state in human embryonic stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. (2014). PubMed
Bauer, M., Bénard, J., Gaasterland, T., Willert, K., Cappellen, D. WNT5A encodes two isoforms with distinct functions in cancers. PLoS ONE. (2013). PubMed
Brafman, D., Moya, N., Soltero, S., Fellner, T., Robinson, M., Vomberg-McMillen, Z., Gaasterland, T., Willert, K. Analysis of SOX2 expressing cell populations derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports. (2013). PubMed
Green, J.L., Bauer, M., Yum, K.W., Li, Y.C., Cox, M.L., Willert, K., Wahl, G.M. Use of a molecular genetic platform technology to produce human Wnt proteins reveals distinct local and distal signaling activities. PLoS One. (2013). PubMed
Brafman, D., Phung, C., Kumar, N., Willert, K. Regulation of endodermal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells through integrin-ECM interactions. Cell Death and Differentiation. (2013). PubMed
Wnt proteins. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. (2012). PubMed
Gallegos, T.F., Kouznetsova, V., Kudlicka, K., Sweeney, D.E., Bush, K.T., Willert, K., Farquhar, M.G., Nigam, S.K. A Protein Kinase A and Wnt-dependent network regulating an intermediate stage in epithelial tubulogenesis during kidney development. Developmental Biology. (2012). PubMed
Brafman, D., Chien, S., Willert, K. Arrayed cellular microenvironments for identifying culture and differentiation conditions for stem, primary and rare cell populations. Nature Protocols. (2012). PubMed
Mulligan, K., Fuerer, C., Ching, W., Fish, M., Willert, K., Nusse, R. Secreted Wingless-interacting molecule (SWIM) promotes long-range signaling by maintaining Wingless solubility. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. (2011). PubMed
2006 – 2010
Brafman, D., Chang, C.-W., Fernandez, A., Willert, K., Varghese, S., Chien, S. Long-term human pluripotent stem cell self-renewal on synthetic polymer surfaces. Biomaterials. (2010). PubMed
Hu, T., Li, C., Cao, Z., Van Raay, T.J., Smith, J.G., Willert, K., Solnica-Krezel, L., Coffey, R.J. Myristoylated Naked2 antagonizes WNT-β-catenin activity by degrading dishevelled-1 at the plasma membrane. J. Biol. Chem. (2010). PubMed
Lu, D., Liu, J.X., Endo, T., Zhou, H., Yao, S., Willert, K., Schmidt-Wolf, I.G., Kipps, T.J., Carson, D.A. Ethacrynic acid exhibits selective toxicity to chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells by inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. PLoS One. (2009). PubMed
Brafman, D.A., Shah, K.D., Fellner, T., Chien, S., Willert, K. Defining long-term maintenance conditions of human embryonic stem cells with arrayed cellular microenvironment technology. Stem Cells Dev. (2009). PubMed
Lancaster, M.A., Louie, C.M., Silhavy, J.L., Sintasath, L., DeCambre, M., Nigam, S.K., Willert, K., Gleeson, J.G. Impaired Wnt/β-catenin signaling disrupts adult renal homeostasis and leads to cystic kidney ciliopathy. Nat Med. (2009). PubMed
Brafman, D., de Minicis, S., Seki, E., Shah, K.D., Teng, D., Brenner, D., Willert, K., Chien, S. Investigating the Role of the Extracellular Environment in Modulating Hepatic Stellate Cell Biology with Arrayed Combinatorial Microenvironments. Integrative Biology. (2009). PubMed
Eguchi, A., Meade, B.R., Chang, Y.-C., Fredrickson, C.T., Willert, K., Puri, N., Dowdy, S.F. Efficient siRNA Delivery into Primary Cells by Peptide Transduction-dsRNA Binding Domain (PTD-DRBD) Fusion Protein. Nat. Biotechnology. (2009). PubMed
Soda M., Willert K., Kaushansky K., Geddis, A. Inhibition of GSK-3β promotes survival and proliferation of megakaryocytic cells through β-catenin-independent signaling. Cellular Signaling. (2008). PubMed
Isolation and application of bioactive Wnt proteins. Methods Mol Biol. (2008). PubMed
Willert K., Jones, K. Wnt signaling: Is the party in the nucleus? Genes and Development. (2006). PubMed
Galli L.M., Barnes T., Cheng T., Acosta L., Anglade A., Willert K., Nusse R., Burrus L.W. Differential Inhibition of Wnt-3a by Sfrp-1, Sfrp-2, and Sfrp-3. Developmental Dynamics. (2006). PubMed
2001 – 2005
Duncan, A.W., Rattis, F.M., DiMascio, L.N., Congdon, K.L., Paxianos, G, Zhao, C., Yoon, K., Cook, J. M., Willert, K., Gaiano, N., Reya, T. Integration of Notch and Wnt signaling in hematopoietic stem cell maintenance. Nature Immunology. (2005). PubMed
Galli L.M., Willert, K., Nusse, R., Yablonka-Reuveni, Z., Nohno, T., Denetclaw, W., Burrus, L.W. A proliferative role for Wnt-3a in chick somites. Dev Biol. (2004). PubMed
Willert, K., Brown, J., Danenberg, E., Duncan, A., Weissman, I.L., Reya, T., Yates III, J.R., and Nusse, R. Wnt proteins are lipid-modified and can act as stem cell factors. Nature. (2003). PubMed
Reya, T., Duncan, A., Ailles, L., Domen, J., Scherer, D., Willert, K., Hintz, L., Nusse, R., and Weissman, I.L. A role for Wnt signalling in self-renewal of haematopoietic stem cells. Nature. (2003). PubMed
Wilson, S., Rydström, A., Trimborn, T., Willert, K., Nusse, R., Jessel, T., and Edlund, T. The status of Wnt signalling regulates neural and epidermal fates in the chick embryo. Nature. (2001). PubMed
2000 and Before
Reya, T., O’Riordan, M., Okamura, R., Devaney, E., Willert, K., Nusse, R., and Grosschedl, R. Wnt signaling regulates B lymphocyte proliferation through a LEF-1 dependent mechanism. Immunity. (2000). PubMed
Willert, K., Logan, C.Y., Arora, A., Fish, M., and Nusse, R. A Drosophila Axin homolog, Daxin, inhibits Wnt signaling. Development. (1999). PubMed
Willert, K., Shibamoto, S., and Nusse, R. Wnt-induced dephosphorylation of Axin releases b-catenin from the Axin complex. Genes and Development. (1999). PubMed
Millar, S. E., Willert, K., Salinas, P. C., Roelink, H., Nusse, R., Sussman, D. J. and Barsh, G. S. WNT signaling in the control of hair growth and structure. Dev Biol. (1999). PubMed
Korinek, V., Barker, N., Willert, K., Molenaar, M., Roose, J., Wagenaar, G., Markman, M., Lamers, W., Destree, O. and Clevers, H. Two members of the Tcf family implicated in Wnt/b-catenin signaling during embryogenesis in the mouse. Mol Cell Biol. (1998). PubMed
Willert, K. and Nusse, R. Beta-catenin: a key mediator of Wnt signaling. Curr Opin Genet Dev. (1998). PubMed
Willert, K., Brink, M., Wodarz, A., Varmus, H. and Nusse, R. Casein kinase 2 associates with and phosphorylates dishevelled. Embo J. (1997). PubMed
Nusse, R., Samos, C. H., Brink, M., Willert, K., Cadigan, K. M., Wodarz, A., Fish, M. and Rulifson, E. Cell culture and whole animal approaches to understanding signaling by Wnt proteins in Drosophila. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. (1997). PubMed
Shackleford, G. M., Willert, K., Wang, J. and Varmus, H. E. The Wnt-1 proto-oncogene induces changes in morphology, gene expression, and growth factor responsiveness in PC12 cells. Neuron. (1993). PubMed
Young, J. A., Bates, P., Willert, K. and Varmus, H. E. Efficient incorporation of human CD4 protein into avian leukosis virus particles. Science. (1990). PubMed