title: Modulation of Wnt signaling by Axin and Axil.
abstract: The Wnt signaling pathway is conserved in various species from worms to mammals, and plays important roles in development, cellular proliferation, and differentiation. The molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt signal regulates cellular functions are becoming increasingly well understood. Wnt stabilizes cytoplasmic beta-catenin, which stimulates the expression of genes including c-myc, c-jun, fra-1, and cyclin D1. Axin and its homolog Axil, newly recognized as components of the Wnt signaling pathway, negatively regulate this pathway. Other components of the Wnt signaling pathway, including Dvl, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), beta-catenin, and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), interact with Axin, and the phosphorylation and stability of beta-catenin are regulated in the Axin complex. Axil has similar functions to Axin. Thus, Axin and Axil act as scaffold proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway, thereby modulating the Wnt-dependent cellular functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan. akikuchi@mcai.med.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D000818:Animals; D060466:Axin Protein; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051180:Desmoplakins; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D006801:Humans; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051154:Wnt2 Protein; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C111980:AXIN2 protein, Xenopus; D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D060466:Axin Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C000606586:DVL1 protein, Xenopus; D051180:Desmoplakins; D000072261:Dishevelled Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051154:Wnt2 Protein; C495251:Wnt2 protein, Drosophila; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C555454:axin1 protein, Xenopus; D051176:beta Catenin; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases