title: Once upon a time there was beta-catenin in cadherin-mediated signalling.
abstract: beta-Catenin was initially characterized as a protein interacting with the cadherin cytoplasmic tail and regulating cell-cell contacts and actin cytoskeleton interactions. Moreover, the gene coding for the Drosophila orthologue of beta-catenin, armadillo, was independently identified downstream of wingless in the segment-polarity signalling pathway. In fact, beta-catenin/Armadillo turned out to be key mediators of the Wnt/Wingless pathways in vertebrates and invertebrates. beta-Catenin participates in both adhesion and signalling functions in a mutually exclusive manner; bound to cadherins at the plasma membrane or 'unbound' in cytosolic or nuclear complexes. This model had placed beta-catenin at the crossroads between cadherin and Wnt signalling, leading to the dogma of inhibition of beta-catenin signalling by cadherins.
authors.affiliation: INSERM, U706, Neurosignalisation Moléculaire et Cellulaire UPMC, Institut du Fer-à-Moulin, UPMC, 17 rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gavard
authors.forename: René-Marc
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mège
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D008954:Models, Biological; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C495305:ARM protein, Drosophila; D051186:Armadillo Domain Proteins; D015820:Cadherins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D051176:beta Catenin; C074622:wg protein, Drosophila