The adenomatous polyposis coli protein: the Achilles heel of the gut epithelium.
The Adenomatous Polyposis coli (APC) gene is mutated or lost in most colon cancers, and the APC protein has emerged as a multifunctional protein that is not only involved in the Wnt-regulated degradation of -catenin, but also regulates cytoskeletal proteins and thus plays a role in cell migration, cell adhesion, and mitosis. The gut epithelium is uniquely dependent on an intricate balance between a number of fundamental cellular processes including migration, differentiation, adhesion, apoptosis, and mitosis. In this review, I discuss the molecular mechanisms that govern the various functions of APC and their relationship to the role of APC in colon cancer.
Näthke
Inke S
IS
Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee Dundee DD1 5EH, Scotland, United Kingdom. i.s.nathke@dundee.ac.uk
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000502:physiology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*
D025601:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein