Receptor for Wnt proteins. Most frizzled receptors are coupled to the beta-catenin canonical signaling pathway, which leads to the activation of disheveled proteins, inhibition of gsk-3 kinase, nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin and activation of Wnt target genes (Probable). A second signaling pathway involving PKC and calcium fluxes has been seen for some family members, but it is not yet clear if it represents a distinct pathway or if it can be integrated in the canonical pathway, as pkc seems to be required for Wnt-mediated inactivation of gsk-3 kinase (Probable). Both pathways seem to involve interactions with G-proteins (Probable). Required in embryonic development for the correct positioning and orientation of the mitotic spindles and division planes in blastomere cells. During early embryonic cell divisions, directs the asymmetric positioning of transcription factors such as pop-1 and dsh-2 in daughter cells in order to determine cell fate specification. Acts redundantly with other Wnt receptors such as lin-17 to control vulval precursor cell specification and also the polarity of different cell types including distal tip cells, seam cells, AVG interneurons and P-cells and their descendants. Plays a role in the migration of cell types including distal tip cells and the QR neuroblast descendants, QR.p and QR.pa during larval development. Negatively regulates the unc-6/Netrin receptors unc-5 and unc-40 to control distal tip cell polarity and migration. Acts through ced-5/DOCK180 and ced-10/Rac to control both distal tip cell migration and the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cell corpses. Furthermore, it is also required for the migration and axon guidance of the different neuronal cell types including CAN, ALM, HSN and the two mechanosensory neurons AVM and PVM. Mediates Wnt receptor cfz-2 in directing ALM migration, but may also act redundantly with the Wnt receptors cfz-2 and mig-1 to direct the migration of other neuronal cell types including CAN and HSN. Mediates Wnt ligand egl-20 in the control of the anterior-posterior axon guidance of AVM and PVM neurons.
