title: Wnt-signalling pathway in ovarian epithelial tumours: increased expression of beta-catenin and GSK3beta.
abstract: Beta-catenin is involved in both cell-cell adhesion and in transcriptional regulation by the Wingless/Wnt signalling pathway. Alterations of components of this pathway have been suggested to play a central role in tumorigenesis. The present study investigated, by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting, the protein expression and localisation of beta-catenin, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) and lymphocyte enhancer factor-1 (Lef-1) in normal human ovaries and in epithelial ovarian tumours in vivo and in vitro. Immortalised human ovarian surface epithelium and ovarian cancer cell cells (OVCAR-3) expressed beta-catenin, APC, GSK3beta and Lef-1. Nuclear staining of beta-catenin and Lef-1 were demonstrated only in OVCAR-3 cells. There were significant increases of beta-catenin and GSK3beta, while APC was reduced in ovarian cancer compared to the normal ovary. Beta-catenin and Lef-1 were coimmunoprecipitated in ovarian tumours, but not in the normal ovary. Nuclear localisation of beta-catenin or Lef-1 could not be demonstrated in the normal ovary or in the ovarian tumours. The absence of nuclear localisation of beta-catenin could be due to an increased binding to the cadherin-alpha-catenin cell adhesion complex. In fact, we have earlier reported an increased expression of E-cadherin in ovarian adenocarcinomas. In summary, this study demonstrates an increase in the expression of components of the Wingless/Wnt pathway in malignant ovarian tumours. The increase suggests a role for this signalling pathway in cell transformation and in tumour progression. However, it remains to be demonstrated whether it is an increased participation of beta-catenin in transcriptional regulation, or in the stabilisation of cellular integrity, or both, that is the crucial event in ovarian tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rask
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brännström
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hellberg
authors.forename: P-O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Janson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hedin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundfeldt
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497573:LEF1 protein, human; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3