Deconstructing the ßcatenin destruction complex: mechanistic roles for the tumor suppressor APC in regulating Wnt signaling.

ABSTRACT: Negatively regulating signaling by targeting key effectors for ubiquitination/destruction is essential for development and oncogenesis. The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), an essential negative regulator of Wnt signaling, provides a paradigm. APC mutations occur in most colon cancers. Acting in the "destruction complex" with Axin, glycogen synthase kinase 3, and casein kinase, APC targets ßcatenin (ßcat) for phosphorylation and recognition by an E3 ubiquitin-ligase. Despite 20 years of work, the internal workings of the destruction complex and APC's role remain largely mysterious. We use both Drosophila and colon cancer cells to test hypotheses for APC's mechanism of action. Our data are inconsistent with current models suggesting that high-affinity ßcat-binding sites on

SUBMITTER: Roberts DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3103401 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature