FB2026_01 , released March 12, 2026
FB2026_01 , released March 12, 2026
Human Disease Model Report: obesity, susceptibility to (postulated), Wnt signaling pathway
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General Information
Name
obesity, susceptibility to (postulated), Wnt signaling pathway
FlyBase ID
FBhh0001102
Disease Ontology Term
Parent Disease
OMIM
Overview

The Drosophila wg gene was identified in an RNAi-based screen to identify muscle-secreted proteins that, when inhibited, cause an obese phenotype. The flies exhibit increased abdominal fat body mass, enlarged lipid droplets in fat body cells, and an increase in total triglyceride amounts. Consistent with the results from wg knockdown experiments, wg overexpression in muscle decreases fat accumulation. A second gene in the Wnt signaling pathway, arm, was assessed in the same assays, with comparable results.

See the FlyBase report for the Wnt-TCF Signaling Pathway Core Components (FBgg0000890).

UAS constructs of the human genes Hsap\WNT1 (an ortholog of wg) and Hsap\CTNNB1 (an ortholog of arm) have been introduced into flies, but have not been characterized.

The fly ortholog of MED13 (Dmel\skd), which is not a secreted protein, also exhibits obesity-related phenotypes when knocked down in muscle; see the human disease model 'obesity, susceptibility to (postulated), MED13-related' (FBhh0000506). Genetic experiments have been performed to assess epistatic relationships between wg and skd for the obesity-related phenotypes. These data support the conclusion that muscle-secreted wg protein acts as a downstream effector of skd function in muscle to suppress fat deposition in the fat body.

[updated Apr. 2020 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]

Disease Summary Information
Parent Disease Summary: obesity, susceptibility to (fly models overview)
Symptoms and phenotype

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death. (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/obesity).

The development of obesity is recognized as having both genetic and environmental components (https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/203-obesity-genetic-or-environmental).

Specific Disease Summary: obesity, susceptibility to (postulated), Wnt signaling pathway
OMIM report
Human gene(s) implicated
Symptoms and phenotype
Genetics
Cellular phenotype and pathology
Molecular information

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is initiated by the binding of a Wnt ligand to a frizzled family receptor on the cell surface. Activation of the pathway leads to the inhibition of cytoplasmic β-catenin (arm) degradation and its subsequent accumulation in the nucleus, where it regulates the transcription of target genes (FBgg0000890).

External links
    Disease synonyms
    Ortholog Information
    Human gene(s) in FlyBase
      Other mammalian ortholog(s) used
        D. melanogaster Gene Information (2)
        Gene Snapshot
        armadillo (arm) encodes the Drosophila homolog of beta-catenin. It plays separable roles in cell adhesion and Wingless signaling. It links classic cadherin cell adhesion receptors to alpha-catenin and the actin cytoskeleton, and it acts as the key regulated effector of Wingless signaling, working with TCF/LEF proteins as a transcriptional co-activator. [Date last reviewed: 2019-03-07]
        Gene Groups / Pathways
        Comments on ortholog(s)

        Moderate- to high-scoring ortholog of human CTNNB1 and JUP (1 Drosophila to 2 human). Dmel\arm shares 63-67% identity and 76-77% similarity with the human genes.

        Orthologs and Alignments from DRSC
        DIOPT - DRSC Integrative Ortholog Prediction Tool - Click the link below to search for orthologs in Humans
        Gene Snapshot
        wingless (wg) is a segment polarity gene that encodes a ligand of the Wnt/Wg signaling pathway. Its post-translational modification (addition of palmitoleate by the product of por) is essential for signaling activity. It contributes to segment polarity, tissue growth and patterning, neuromuscular junction morphogenesis, gut homeostasis and long term memory formation. [Date last reviewed: 2019-03-21]
        Gene Groups / Pathways
        Comments on ortholog(s)

        High-scoring ortholog of human WNT1 (1 Drosophila to 1 human, best and reverse best hits); multiple orthologs and paralogs in both species. Dmel\wg shares 44% identity and 55% similarity with the human gene.

        Orthologs and Alignments from DRSC
        DIOPT - DRSC Integrative Ortholog Prediction Tool - Click the link below to search for orthologs in Humans
        Other Genes Used: Viral, Bacterial, Synthetic (0)
          Summary of Physical Interactions (80 groups)
          RNA-RNA
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          western blot, luminiscence technology
          luminiscence technology, western blot
          luminiscence technology, western blot
          luminiscence technology, western blot
          protein-protein
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, two hybrid, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, pull down, far western blotting, experimental knowledge based
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation
          pull down, autoradiography, coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, two hybrid, pull down, autoradiography, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          two hybrid, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, pull down, autoradiography
          proximity ligation assay, fluorescence microscopy, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          pull down, western blot
          pull down, western blot
          protein kinase assay, autoradiography, enzymatic study, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          proximity ligation assay, fluorescence microscopy
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          pull down, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, protein kinase assay, autoradiography
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, pull down, autoradiography
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, autoradiography, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          pull down, autoradiography, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, pull down
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, pull down
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          enzymatic study, autoradiography
          pull down, western blot
          pull down, western blot
          pull down, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, Identification by mass spectrometry, western blot
          pull down, autoradiography, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, two hybrid
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          pull down, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, autoradiography, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation
          pull down, molecular weight estimation by staining, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          pull down, autoradiography, two hybrid, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, western blot
          pull down, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          two hybrid, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, pull down, autoradiography
          enzymatic study, western blot, protein kinase assay, autoradiography, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, molecular weight estimation by staining, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, two hybrid, fluorescent resonance energy transfer, fluorescence microscopy, pull down, autoradiography
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, pull down
          pull down, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, two hybrid
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, pull down, autoradiography
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, pull down, autoradiography
          RNA-RNA
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          luminiscence technology
          RNA-protein
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, quantitative reverse transcription pcr
          protein-protein
          Interacting group
          Assay
          References
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          affinity technology, fluorescence microscopy, inferred by author
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, anti tag western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          pull down, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, coimmunoprecipitation
          affinity technology, fluorescence microscopy, inferred by author, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, proximity ligation assay
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot, fluorescent resonance energy transfer, fluorescence microscopy, affinity technology, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, inferred by author, cross-linking study
          affinity technology, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, inferred by author
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, cross-linking study, western blot
          pull down, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          enzymatic study, western blot, anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          inferred by author, affinity technology, fluorescence microscopy, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, affinity chromatography technology, molecular sieving, peptide massfingerprinting
          anti tag coimmunoprecipitation, western blot
          anti bait coimmunoprecipitation, anti tag western blot
          Alleles Reported to Model Human Disease (Disease Ontology) (26 alleles)
          Models Based on Experimental Evidence ( 6 )
          Modifiers Based on Experimental Evidence ( 11 )
          Allele
          Disease
          Interaction
          References
          Models Based on Experimental Evidence ( 2 )
          Allele
          Disease
          Evidence
          References
          Modifiers Based on Experimental Evidence ( 10 )
          Allele
          Disease
          Interaction
          References
          Alleles Representing Disease-Implicated Variants
          Genetic Tools, Stocks and Reagents
          Sources of Stocks
          Contact lab of origin for a reagent not available from a public stock center.
          Bloomington Stock Center Disease Page
          Related mammalian, viral, bacterial, or synthetic transgenes
          Allele
          Transgene
          Publicly Available Stocks
          Selected Drosophila transgenes
          Allele
          Transgene
          Publicly Available Stocks
          RNAi constructs available
          Allele
          Transgene
          Publicly Available Stocks
          Selected Drosophila classical alleles
          Allele
          Allele class
          Mutagen
          Publicly Available Stocks
          loss of function allele
          PM hybrid dysgenesis
          PM hybrid dysgenesis
          P-element activity
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          X ray
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          loss of function allele
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          loss of function allele
          loss of function allele
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          Delta2-3 transposase
          loss of function allele
          P-element activity
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          loss of function allele
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          loss of function allele
          X ray
          loss of function allele
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          loss of function allele
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          X ray
          amorphic allele - genetic evidence
          ethyl methanesulfonate
          loss of function allele
          cre recombinase
          References (3)