Regulation of beta-catenin signaling in the Wnt pathway.
beta-Catenin not only regulates cell to cell adhesion as a protein interacting with cadherin, but also functions as a component of the Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt signaling pathway is conserved in various organisms from worms to mammals, and plays important roles in development, cellular proliferation, and differentiation. Wnt stabilizes cytoplasmic beta-catenin and then beta-catenin is translocated into the nucleus where it stimulates the expression of genes including c-myc, c-jun, fra-1, and cyclin D1. The amounts and functions of beta-catenin are regulated in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Its molecular mechanisms are becoming increasingly well understood.
Kikuchi
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Department of Biochemistry, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, 1-2-3, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. akikuchi@mcai.med.hiroshimau.ac.jp
D000818:Animals; D060466:Axin Protein; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
D060466:Axin Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin