title: Beta-catenin can act as a nuclear import receptor for its partner transcription factor, lymphocyte enhancer factor-1 (lef-1).
abstract: Nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin plays an important role in the Wnt signaling pathway. In the nucleus, beta-catenin acts as a transcriptional co-activator for TCF/LEF family of transcription factors. It has been shown that lef-1 contains a typical basic type nuclear localization signal (NLS) and is transported into the nucleus by the conventional import pathway. In this study, we found that a mutant lef-1 lacking the classical NLS accumulated in the nucleus of living cells, when beta-catenin was co-expressed. In addition, in a cell-free import assay, lef-1 migrated into the nucleus in the presence of beta-catenin alone without any other soluble factors. In contrast, another mutant lef-1 lacking the beta-catenin binding domain failed to migrate into the nucleus, even in the presence of beta-catenin. These findings indicate that beta-catenin alone can mediate the nuclear import of lef-1 through the direct binding. Collectively, we propose that there are two distinct pathways for the nuclear import of lef-1: importin alpha/beta-mediated and beta-catenin-mediated one, which provides a novel paradigm for Wnt signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Munehiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asally
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoneda
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C497574:Lef1 protein, mouse; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin