title: Streptonigrin inhibits β-Catenin/Tcf signaling and shows cytotoxicity in β-catenin-activated cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activation of β-catenin/T-cell factor (Tcf) signaling plays a role in human carcinogenesis. This suggests a possibility that the β-catenin/Tcf signaling activated by the accumulation of β-catenin in the nucleus is related to some type of human carcinogenesis. Therefore, if β-catenin's transcriptional activity can be markedly down-regulated, tumor growth will be suppressed in β-catenin activated types of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the activation or suppression of β-catenin/Tcf transcription, we established a transiently transfected cell line with a constitutively active β-catenin mutant gene whose product is not degraded. This cell line was also co-transfected with luciferase reporter gene constructs containing either an optimized (TOPflash) or mutant (FOPflash) Tcf-binding element.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified the inhibitory effect of streptonigrin against β-catenin/Tcf signaling in β-catenin activated cells. Streptonigrin inhibited the transcriptional activity of β-catenin/Tcf in SW480 cells and HEK293 cells transiently transfected with a constitutively active mutant β-catenin gene. The growth inhibitory effect of streptonigrin was more evident in β-catenin-activated cancer cells than in non-activated cancer cells. The electrophoresis mobility shift assay showed that the binding of Tcf complexes with their specific DNA-binding sites was suppressed by streptonigrin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Streptonigrin is a negative regulator of β-catenin/Tcf signaling, and their inhibitory mechanism is related to the proliferation inhibitory effect on β-catenin-activated cancer cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report reveals a molecular mechanism underlying the anti-tumor effect of streptonigrin from the perspective β-catenin/Tcf signaling. Given its function in inhibiting β-catenin/Tcf signaling, streptonigrin may be of interest as a leading compound for chemotherapeutic agent against β-catenin-activated tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Dongduk Women's University, Seoul 136-714, Republic of Korea. sypark21@dongduk.ac.kr
authors.forename: Seyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sohyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chun
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D017931:DNA Primers; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D006801:Humans; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013308:Streptonigrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D051176:beta Catenin; D013308:Streptonigrin