title: Phosphorylation and regulation of beta-catenin by casein kinase I epsilon.
abstract: beta-Catenin transduces cytosolic signals to the nucleus in the Wnt pathway. The Wnt ligand stabilizes cytosolic beta-catenin protein, preventing its phosphorylation by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Serine-33 and -37 of beta-catenin are GSK3 phosphorylation sites that serve as recognition sites for the beta-TRCP-ubiquitin ligase complex, which ultimately triggers beta-catenin degradation. Mutations at those two sites, as well as in Ser-45, stabilize beta-catenin. Recently, casein kinase I epsilon (CKI epsilon) has been shown to be a positive regulator of the Wnt pathway. Its action mechanism, however, remains unknown. Here I show that Ser-45 is phosphorylated not by GSK3 but by CKI epsilon. Axin, a scaffold protein that binds CKI epsilon and beta-catenin, enhances this CKI epsilon-mediated phosphorylation. Overexpression of CKI epsilon in cells increases the amount of beta-catenin phosphorylated at Ser-45. Ser-45 phosphorylated beta-catenin is a better substrate for GSK3, which suggests that CKI epsilon and GSK3 may co-operate in destabilizing beta-catenin. In spite of the fact that CKI epsilon was found as a positive regulator of the Wnt pathway, mutational analysis suggests that mutation of Ser-45 regulates beta-catenin stability by inhibiting the ability of GSK3 to phosphorylate Ser-33 and -37, thereby disrupting the interaction between beta-catenin, beta-TRCP and Axin. I propose that phosphorylation of Ser-45 by CKI epsilon plays an important role in regulating beta-catenin stability.
authors.affiliation: Chiron Corporation, Horton Street, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA. chies@gene.com
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060466:Axin Protein; D047388:Casein Kinases; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D060466:Axin Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D011494:Protein Kinases; D047388:Casein Kinases