Wnt signaling is one of the most important mechanisms engaged in embryonic development. In the adult organism it is present in regenerating tissues. The key mediator in the signaling is β-catenin, which translocates to the nucleus and triggers transcription of the Lef1/Tcf target genes. Recently, expression of some of the Wnt pathway components has been observed in the thalamus of the adult brain. We show that β-catenin and Lef1 are constitutively present in nuclei of thalamic neurons in vivo. We also demonstrate that β-catenin accumulates in about 40% of thalamic cells in vitro, without any prior stimulation. This phenomenon does not depend on soluble factors produced by glia cells or cortical neurons, because nor glia cells co-culture neither cortical conditioned medium affects the number of β-catenin positive cells. These observations support a new idea that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an intrinsic feature of thalamic neurons, independent on thalamo-cortical interaction what was proposed before. Whether the nuclear localization of β-catenin in thalamic neurons is a consequence of autocrine Wnt stimulation or a specifi c regulation inside the cells remains to be determined.
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