Mutational activation of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 over-expression are a frequent change in mouse hepatic tumors. Although activated beta-catenin may bind to T cell factor (TCF) family members and transcriptionally activate the cyclin D1 gene, either beta-catenin or cyclin D1 may be activated by various pathways independently of beta-catenin mutations. In this study, we investigated beta-caten...

Agrin is believed to be a factor used by motoneurons to direct acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering at the neuromuscular junction. However, exactly how agrin mediates this effect remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the beta-catenin interacts with rapsyn, a molecule key for AChR clustering. Agrin stimulation increases the association of beta-catenin with surface AChRs. Suppression of b...

beta-Catenin and plakoglobin (gamma-catenin) are closely related molecules of the armadillo family of proteins. They are localized at the submembrane plaques of cell-cell adherens junctions where they form independent complexes with classical cadherins and alpha-catenin to establish the link with the actin cytoskeleton. Plakoglobin is also found in a complex with desmosomal cadherins and is inv...

beta-Catenin is a multifunctional molecule with important roles in intercellular adhesion and signal transduction. We reported previously that beta-catenin is mutated in human prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the role of beta-catenin mutations on androgen receptor (AR) signaling. beta-Catenin significantly enhanced androgen-stimulated transcriptional activation by the AR. beta-Ca...

The stabilization of beta-catenin is a key regulatory step during cell fate changes and transformations to tumor cells. Several interacting proteins, including Axin, APC, and the protein kinase GSK-3beta are implicated in regulating beta-catenin phosphorylation and its subsequent degradation. Wnt signaling stabilizes beta-catenin, but it was not clear whether and how Wnt signaling regulates the...

Activated beta-catenin is suggested to inhibit NF-kappaB activation, and we previously demonstrated that NF-kappaB nuclear positivity was more frequent in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected gastric carcinomas. It is controversial that beta-catenin and E-cadherin are prognostic markers in gastric carcinomas. To define a relationship between beta-catenin and EBV, and the prognostic value of beta-c...

beta-Catenin is the nuclear effector of the Wnt signaling cascade. The mechanism by which nuclear activity of beta-catenin is regulated is not well defined. Therefore, we used the nuclear marker RanGTP to screen for novel nuclear beta-catenin binding proteins. We identified a cofactor of chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-mediated nuclear export, Ran binding protein 3 (RanBP3), as a novel b...

We studied the effect of N-cadherin, and its free or membrane-anchored cytoplasmic domain, on the level and localization of beta-catenin and on its ability to induce lymphocyte enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF-1)-responsive transactivation. These cadherin derivatives formed complexes with beta-catenin and protected it from degradation. N-cadherin directed beta-catenin into adherens junctions, and...

BACKGROUND We have recently reported that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) JNK1 downregulates beta-catenin signaling and plays a critical role in regulating intestinal homeostasis and in suppressing tumor formation. This study was designed to determine whether JNK2, another MAPK, has similar and/or different functions in the regulation of beta-catenin signaling. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIP...

BACKGROUND beta-catenin is a multifunctional protein involved in two apparently independent processes: cell-cell adhesion and signal transduction. beta-catenin is involved in Wnt signaling pathway that regulates cellular differentiation and proliferation. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of beta-catenin and cyclin D1 using immunohistochemistry and searched for mutations in ...