title: Frequent alterations in the Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal cancer with microsatellite instability.
abstract: It is generally accepted that both dysfunction of the Wnt signaling pathway, including mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and beta-catenin genes, and genetic instability play important roles in colorectal carcinogenesis. However, alteration of the components in the Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite instability (MSI) has not been elucidated. In order to assess the status of the Wnt signaling components in CRC with MSI, mutational analyses of the beta-catenin, APC, Axin 1, and T cell factor 4 (TCF4) genes were performed. Three of 33 samples had mutations in exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene and two in the APC gene. Eight mutations in seven samples were detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism and subsequent direct sequence analysis of the entire coding region of the Axin 1 gene. Furthermore, TCF4, which is one of the transcriptional factors in the Wnt signaling pathway and has a mononucleotide repeat sequence (a nine- adenine repeat, (A)9) in its C-terminal region, was mutated in 13 of the 33 samples. Thus, alteration in the Wnt signaling pathway is frequently observed in CRC with MSI, including hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, as well as in familial adenomatous polyposis and sporadic CRC without MSI.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University Faculty of Medicine, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Masazumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okajima
authors.forename: Toshimasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asahara
mesh_terms: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000235:genetics; D060466:Axin Protein; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D017491:Genes, APC; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C555451:AXIN1 protein, human; D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D060466:Axin Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; C544894:TCF7L2 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D058118:Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin