The cadherin-catenin superfamily in endocrine tumors.
It has been well-known that the cadherin-catenin complexes bind with intracellular skeleton actin, which result in stabilization of cellular structure and tissue organization. Therefore, the cadherin-catenin family has been considered prerequisite for normal cell function and the preservation of tissue integrity. In human malignancies especially colon cancers, dysfunction and/or decrease of expression of these proteins have been proposed to prevent differentiation of tumors and to increase invasiveness and poor prognosis. However, recent studies also revealed that a member of this superfamily, beta-catenin, may play an important role in Wnt/wingless intracellular signaling pathway. Decreased expression of this protein or somatic mutation of the beta-catenin gene has been also reported in human carcinomas including various endocrine tumors. Mutant beta-catenin is associated with abnormal nuclear accumulation in tumor cells and subsequently to activate other transcription factors such as Tcf/Lef. This activation eventually results in which upregulation of mRNA and protein levels of various cell growth mediators in these endocrine tumors. Therefore, dysfunction of the cadherin-catenin system is considered to be closely correlated with tumorigenesis and development in human endocrine tumors.
Semba
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First Department of Pathology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iida-nishi, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan. senba.med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Yamakawa
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Sasano
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H
D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004701:Endocrine Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin