Whitepaper: The first bioactive Wnt1 protein – purification of Wnt1/sFRP complexes

Wnt proteins have been extremely difficult to purify in an active state due to their hydrophobic nature arising from post translational lipid modifications.

Wnt proteins are glycosylated and palmitoylated proteins that have proven extremely difficult to purify in an active state. These growth factors generally associate with the outer membrane of the Wnt producing cells resulting in limited secretion and signaling away from the Wnt production source. In 2003, Roel Nusse’s lab published a procedure to purify palmitoylated Wnt proteins using CHAPs detergent to maintain Wnts in a hydrophobic environment which proved essential for retaining Wnt activity.