title: Mutational analysis of the APC/beta-catenin/Tcf pathway in colorectal cancer.
abstract: Mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene initiates the majority of colorectal (CR) cancers. One consequence of this inactivation is constitutive activation of beta-catenin/Tcf-mediated transcription. To further explore the role of the APC/beta-catenin/Tcf pathway in CR tumorigenesis, we searched for mutations in genes implicated in this pathway in CR tumors lacking APC mutations. No mutations of the gamma-catenin (CTNNG1), GSK-3alpha (GSK3A), or GSK-3beta (GSK3B) genes were detected. In contrast, mutations in the NH2-terminal regulatory domain of beta-catenin (CTNNB1) were found in 13 of 27 (48%) CR tumors lacking APC mutations. Mutations in the beta-catenin regulatory domain and APC were observed to be mutually exclusive, consistent with their equivalent effects on beta-catenin stability and Tcf transactivation. In addition, we found that CTNNB1 mutations can occur in the early, adenomatous stage of CR neoplasia, as has been observed previously with APC mutations. These results suggest that CTNNB1 mutations can uniquely substitute for APC mutations in CR tumors and that beta-catenin signaling plays a critical role in CR tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vogelstein
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kinzler
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D051180:Desmoplakins; D017491:Genes, APC; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D051180:Desmoplakins; C495292:JUP protein, human; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; C544894:TCF7L2 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; D051185:gamma Catenin