Adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor protein has signaling activity in Xenopus laevis embryos resulting in the induction of an ectopic dorsoanterior axis.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene are linked to both familial and sporadic human colon cancer. So far, a clear biological function for the APC gene product has not been determined. We assayed the activity of APC in the early Xenopus embryo, which has been established as a good model for the analysis of the signaling activity of the APC-associated protein beta-catenin. When expressed in the future ventral side of a four-cell embryo, full-length APC induced a secondary dorsoanterior axis and the induction of the homeobox gene Siamois. This is similar to the phenotype previously observed for ectopic beta-catenin expression. In fact, axis induction by APC required the availability of cytosolic beta-catenin. These results indicate that APC has signaling act

SUBMITTER: Vleminckx K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2134811 | biostudies-literature | 1997 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature