At stage 12, Wnt5 expression is observed in the epidermis, most prominently in two clusters, and throughout the somatic mesoderm that will give rise to the body wall musculature. At early stage 16, Wnt5 is present in the muscle attachment sites, and at low levels in contractile fibers in most muscles, including the A1-7 lateral transverse muscles 1, 2, and 3. At the end of embryonic development at late stage 17, Wnt5 is almost undetectable in the somatic mesoderm.

Wnt5 is predominantly expressed in neuronal cell bodies that do not express drl (are associate with the posterior commissure.

Wnt5 transcript expression pattern was compared to that of MAb44C11, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes nuclei throughout the brain and ventral nerve cord (as well as the PNS) . Wnt5 is found in all the CNS cells that stain with MAb44C11, but not in the PNS cells.

Wnt5 transcripts are distributed ubiquitously throughout the embryo until germ band extension. Then, specific staining can be seen in the nascent limb primordia of the head and thoracic segments and in stripes along the ventral neuroectoderm. Transcription in the limb primordia requires Dll activity.

Wnt5 transcript is detected in all developmental stages. In embryos, it is first detected in the cellular blastoderm stage, at 20-80% egg length. By gastrulation, the presumptive cephalic and ventral furrows express Wnt5 transcript. Mesodermal Wnt2 expression is first detected at stage 6, and continues at least until stage 15. At stages 10-11, the labial, maxillary, antennal and labral segments, and at stage 11, the thoracic leg primordia express Wnt5 transcript. Wnt5 expression in the CNS is detected starting at stage 11, through at least stage 16.

drl-protein is expressed in six large groups of cells in the dorsomedial part of the third instar larval brain. In the pupal brain drl-protein is detected in cells of the protocerebrum surrounding the mushroom body.

Wnt5-protein is detected at 16h APF throughout the developing antennal lobes with high concentrations in the anterior dorsolateral and posterior ventrolateral regions. Expression is also detected in a developing neuron projection bundle terminating at the dorsolateral edge of the developing adult antennal lobe. Wnt5-protein is co-expressed with Scer\GAL4^GH146 and drl-protein in dendrites of a subset of antennal lobe projection neurons.

At stage 12, Wnt5 expression is observed in the epidermis, most prominently in two clusters, and throughout the somatic mesoderm that will give rise to the body wall musculature. At early stage 16, Wnt5 is present in the muscle attachment sites, and at low levels in contractile fibers in most muscles, including the A1-7 lateral transverse muscles 1, 2, and 3. At the end of embryonic development at late stage 17, Wnt5 is almost undetectable in the somatic mesoderm.

Wnt5 protein was localized to projection neuron dendrites during glomerular development.

Wnt5 protein is localized to neuronal cell bodies lateral to the midline of the ventral nerve cord in early embryonic stage 12. At stages embryonic stages 13-16, Wnt5 protein is found on longitudinal axons and on axons of the anterior and posterior commissures, with greatest abundance on the axons of the posterior commissures.

Wnt5 protein expression pattern resembles the Wnt5 transcript expression pattern. At stage 10, expression is detected in bilaterally symmetrical regions corresponding to the labrum and antennal primordia and the labial and maxillary gnathal segments. At stage 11, the protein is found in ventral patches of cells corresponding to the thoracic limb primordia, and in each neuromere. As the germ band retracts, expression is detected in the supraesophageal ganglia of the brain. By stage 13, expression is detected throughout the ventral nerve cord at low levels, with strong staining detected in each hemisegment in a pattern suggestive of the commissural and longitudinal axon bundles. Double staining with MAbBP102, which recognizes all neuronal cells, indicates that Wnt5 protein is expressed in neuronal cells.