Regulation of Wnt signaling by protein-protein interaction and post-translational modifications (original) (raw)

Abstract

The Wnt signaling pathway is conserved in various species from worms to mammals, and plays important roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Wnt stabilizes cytoplasmic β-catenin and then the accumulated β-catenin is translocated into the nucleus, where it activates the transcriptional factor T-cell factor (Tcf)/lymphoid enhancer factor (Lef), and thereby stimulates the expression of genes including c-myc, c-jun, fra-1, and cyclin D1. Tight regulation of this response involves post-translational modifications of the components of the Wnt signaling pathway. Phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and sumoylation have been shown to affect the half-life of β-catenin and the transcriptional activity of Tcf/Lef. The precise spatio-temporal patterns of these multiple modifications determine the driving force of various cellular responses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan
    Akira Kikuchi

Authors

  1. Akira Kikuchi
  2. Shosei Kishida
  3. Hideki Yamamoto

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