title: Adenomatous polyposis coli proteins and cell adhesion.
abstract: Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is an important tumour suppressor in the mammalian intestinal epithelium. It binds to beta-catenin and its role as a tumour suppressor depends predominantly on its ability to downregulate soluble beta-catenin, a key effector of the Wnt signalling pathway. However, epithelial cells have a distinct subcellular pool of beta-catenin, or Drosophila Armadillo, which functions as a structural component of adherens junctions. Notably, APC proteins can be associated with these adherens junctions, and recent evidence points to a role for APC in cellular adhesion. Thus, APC--like beta-catenin/Armadillo--may have a dual role in Wnt signal transduction and in cellular adhesion, which could be relevant to its activity as a tumour suppressor.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK. mb2@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mariann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bienz
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamada
mesh_terms: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin