title: Absolute beta-catenin concentrations in Wnt pathway-stimulated and non-stimulated cells.
abstract: The intracellular level of the proto-oncoprotein beta-catenin is a parameter for the activity of the Wnt pathway, which has been linked to carcinogenesis. The paper introduces a novel sandwich-based ELISA for the determination of the beta-catenin concentration in lysates from cells or tissues. The advantages of the method were proven by determining beta-catenin levels in cell lines and in cells after activation of the Wnt pathway. Analysis revealed high beta-catenin concentrations in the cell lines HeLa, KB, HT1080, MCF-7, U-87 and U-373, which had not been described before. Beta-catenin concentrations were compared in HEK293 and C57MG cells after activation of the Wnt pathway. The beta-catenin concentrations increased by different factors depending on whether the Wnt pathway was activated by incubation with LiCl or with Wnt-3a-conditioned medium. This finding indicated that the beta-catenin level depends on the way and level of Wnt pathway activation. The quantitative analysis of beta-catenin in colorectal tumours revealed high beta-catenin levels in tumours with truncating mutations in the APC gene.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sievers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fritzsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzegorczyk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuhnen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002474:Cell-Free System; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017491:Genes, APC; D006801:Humans; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D018021:Lithium Chloride