PRDM15 modulates WNT and MAPK/ERK signaling by directly promoting the expression of Rspo1 (R-spondin1) and Spry1 (Sprouty1). Mzoughi et al., have shown that PRDM15 binds to the promoter region of both genes, inducing changes in the local chromatin to promote their transcription. In a second report, the same team has identified a loss-of-function mutation in patients with holoprosencephaly and microcephaly. They used mouse models and embryonic stem cells to uncover an unexpected link between Notch and WNT/PCP signaling and early embryo patterning. Both pathways are deregulated in PRDM15 mutants, leading to patterning defects and a spectrum of anterior brain malformations.[7]
