The control of beta-catenin and TCF during embryonic development and cancer.

摘要: The Wnt signaling pathway functions reiteratively during animal development to control cell fate decisions. Inappropriate deregulation of this leads cancer in a number tissues. components that transduce the signal from membrane nucleus are well conserved between vertebrates and Drosophila. A pivotal effector is protein β-catenin/Armadillo whose stability cytoplasm low unstimulated cells. targetted for proteasome-mediated degradation by complex which it binds. This consists Axin, putative scaffold also binds tumor suppressor Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)/Shaggy. somehow inhibits activity quaternary complex. As consequence, accumulates cytoplasm, translocates becomes transcriptional co-activator T factor (TCF), ultimate nuclear target signaling. TCF an architectural protein, mediating assembly multi-protein enhancer complexes. It cooperates with other enhancer-binding proteins and, together β-catenin/Armadillo, stimulates transcription genes. Recently, repressors have been identified prevent being active absence