Wnt signaling: is the party in the nucleus?
The Wnt signaling pathway controls cell proliferation and body patterning throughout development. A surprising number of cytoplasmic Wnt regulators (e.g., beta-catenin, Bcl-9/Lgs, APC, Axin) also appear, often transiently, in the nucleus. beta-Catenin is an integral component of E-cadherin complexes at intercellular adherens junctions, but also recruits chromatin remodeling complexes to activate transcription in the nucleus. The APC tumor suppressor is a part of the cytoplasmic beta-catenin destruction complex, yet also counteracts beta-catenin transactivation and histone H3K4 methylation at Wnt target genes. Furthermore, APC coordinates the cyclic exchange of Wnt coregulator complexes at the DNA. These opposing roles of APC and beta-catenin enable a rapid coordination of gene expression and cytoskeletal organization throughout the cell in response to signaling.
Willert
Karl
K
Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
Jones
Katherine A
KA
D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D017491:Genes, APC; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin