title: beta-catenin signaling and cancer.
abstract: Since its discovery as a protein associated with the cytoplasmic region of E-cadherin, beta-catenin has been shown to perform two apparently unrelated functions: it has a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion in addition to a signaling role as a component of the Wnt/wg pathway. Wnt/wg signaling results in beta-catenin accumulation and transcriptional activation of specific target genes during development. It is now apparent that deregulation of beta-catenin signaling is an important event in the genesis of a number of malignancies, such as colon cancer, melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, medulloblastoma pilomatricomas, and prostate cancer. beta-catenin mutations appear to be a crucial step in the progression of a subset of these cancers, suggesting an important role in the control of cellular proliferation or cell death. The APC/beta-catenin pathway is highly regulated and includes players such as GSK3-beta, CBP, Groucho, Axin, Conductin, and TCF. c-MYC and cyclin D1 were recently identified as a key transcriptional targets of this pathway and additional targets are likely to emerge. Published 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, 5600 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. MorinP@grc.nia.nih.gov
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Morin
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin