Description
Dkk-3, also known as REIC (Reduced Expansion in Immortalized Cells), is one of four numbered members of the Dickkopf family of Wnt antagonists . Dkk-3 is a secreted monomer expressed in many normal human tissues, most strongly in heart, brain and spinal cord, and during early embryonic development in the mouse.Dkk-3 contains two cysteine rich regions and is involved in embryonic development through its interactions with the Wnt signaling pathway. The DKK3 protein is proposed to function as a secreted tumor suppressor since it is downregulated in a number of cancer cells and prostate cancer tissue. DKK3 protein is also a negative regulator of beta-catenin and its downregulation contribute to an activation of the beta-catenin signaling pathway.