Dickkopf-related protein 4; Dickkopf-4; Dkk-4; hDkk-4 (DKK4)

Function

• antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling by inhibiting LRP5 &/or LRP6
• interaction with Wnt & by forming a ternary complex with the transmembrane protein KREMEN that promotes internalization of LRP5 &/or LRP6
• DKKs play a role in vertebrate development, where they locally inhibit Wnt regulated processes such as anteroposterior axial patterning, limb development, somitogenesis & eye formation
• in adults, Dkks are implicated in bone formation
• interacts with LRP5 & LRP6 (putative)
• can be proteolytically processed by a furin-like protease

Structure

• appears to be not glycosylated
• the C-terminal cysteine-rich domain mediates interaction with LRP5 & LRP6 (putative)
• belongs to the dickkopf family

Compartment

secreted

Expression

• expressed in cerebellum, T-cells, esophagus & lung

Pathology

• Dkks are implicated in bone disease, cancer & Alzheimer disease

More general terms

• Dickkopf homolog

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=27121
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:27121
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/605417
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9UBT3.html