title: Vitamin D and Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in colon cancer: role and regulation of DICKKOPF genes.
abstract: Colorectal cancer is a major health problem worldwide. Aberrant activation of the Wingless-type mouse mammary tumour virus integration site family (Wnt)/beta-catenin signalling pathway due to mutation of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), beta-catenin (CTNNB1) or AXIN genes is the most common and initial alteration in sporadic colorectal tumours. Numerous epidemiological and experimental studies have indicated a protective action of vitamin D against colorectal cancer. Previous work has demonstrated that the most active vitamin D metabolite, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) inhibits beta-catenin transcriptional activity by promoting vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding to beta-catenin and the induction of E-cadherin expression. Recently, 1,25(OH)2D3 has been shown to distinctly regulate two genes encoding the extracellular Wnt inhibitors DICKKOPF-1 and DICKKOPF-4 (DKK-1, DKK-4). By an indirect transcriptional mechanism, 1,25(OH)2D3 increases the expression of DKK-1 RNA and protein, which acts as a tumour suppressor in human colon cancer cells harbouring endogenous mutations in the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. In contrast, 1,25(OH)2D3 represses DKK-4 transcription by inducing direct VDR binding to its promoter. Unexpectedly, DKK-4 is a target of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway and is up-regulated in colorectal tumours, and it has been shown to increase cell migration and invasion and to promote a proangiogenic phenotype. Together, these results show that 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts a complex set of regulatory actions leading to the inhibition of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in colon cancer cells that is in line with its protective effect against this neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédica Alberto Sols, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28029 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pendás-Franco
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: González-Sancho
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D002117:Calcitriol / Q000378:metabolism*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C501126:DKK1 protein, human; C442333:DKK4 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; D002117:Calcitriol