This gene encodes a protein that is a member of the dickkopf family. The secreted protein contains two cysteine rich regions and is involved in embryonic development through its interactions with the Wnt signaling pathway. The expression of this gene is decreased in a variety of cancer cell lines and it may function as a tumor suppressor gene. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding the same protein. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in humans identified the DKK3 as a gene with low expression in the sepsis group compared to normal controls through RNA sequencing analysis of peripheral blood samples [Leng et al. DOI:10.2147/IDR.S554915]. A review of long noncoding RNAs in cardiovascular diseases notes that the DKK3 regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation by protecting Hopx from miR-199a-3p, as discussed in the context of cardiac regeneration [Chih-Fan Yeh et al. DOI:10.1186/s12929-020-00647-w].