title: Requirement of cell cycle and apoptosis regulator 1 for target gene activation by Wnt and beta-catenin and for anchorage-independent growth of human colon carcinoma cells.
abstract: Aberrant Wnt signaling promotes oncogenesis by increasing cellular levels of beta-catenin, which associates with DNA-bound transcription factors and activates Wnt target genes. However, the molecular mechanism by which beta-catenin mediates gene expression is still poorly understood. Here, we show that cell cycle and apoptosis regulator 1 (CCAR1), which was recently shown to function as a transcriptional coactivator for nuclear receptors, also interacts with beta-catenin and enhances the ability of beta-catenin to activate expression of transiently transfected reporter genes. Furthermore, association of CCAR1 with the promoter of an endogenous Wnt/beta-catenin target gene in a colon cancer cell line depends on the presence of beta-catenin. Depletion of CCAR1 inhibits expression of several Wnt/beta-catenin target genes and suppresses anchorage-independent growth of the colon cancer cell line. Thus, CCAR1 is a novel component of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling that plays an important role in transcriptional regulation by beta-catenin and that, therefore, may represent a novel target for therapeutic intervention in cancers involving aberrantly activated Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
authors.forename: Chen-Yin
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Jeong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Catherine K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stallcup
mesh_terms: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C477529:CCAR1 protein, human; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; C497573:LEF1 protein, human; D051821:Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin