beta-catenin signaling and cancer

Bioessays. 1999 Dec;21(12):1021-30. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-1878(199912)22:1<1021::AID-BIES6>3.0.CO;2-P.

Abstract

Since its discovery as a protein associated with the cytoplasmic region of E-cadherin, beta-catenin has been shown to perform two apparently unrelated functions: it has a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion in addition to a signaling role as a component of the Wnt/wg pathway. Wnt/wg signaling results in beta-catenin accumulation and transcriptional activation of specific target genes during development. It is now apparent that deregulation of beta-catenin signaling is an important event in the genesis of a number of malignancies, such as colon cancer, melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, medulloblastoma pilomatricomas, and prostate cancer. beta-catenin mutations appear to be a crucial step in the progression of a subset of these cancers, suggesting an important role in the control of cellular proliferation or cell death. The APC/beta-catenin pathway is highly regulated and includes players such as GSK3-beta, CBP, Groucho, Axin, Conductin, and TCF. c-MYC and cyclin D1 were recently identified as a key transcriptional targets of this pathway and additional targets are likely to emerge. Published 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cadherins / physiology
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / physiology*
  • Female
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Trans-Activators*
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • beta Catenin

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Cadherins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • beta Catenin