Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids) are potent regulators of embryogenesis, cell proliferation, epithelial cell differentiation and carcinogenesis [1]. In breast cancer cells, the effects of retinoids are associated with changes in the cadherin–β-catenin adhesion and signaling system [2,3]. β-catenin is a component of the Wnt signaling pathway, which regulates several developmental pathways [4]. ...

BACKGROUND Aberrant beta-catenin signaling plays a key role in several cancer types, notably colon, liver and breast cancer. However approaches to modulate beta-catenin activity for therapeutic purposes have proven elusive to date. METHODOLOGY To uncover genetic dependencies in breast cancer cells that harbor active beta-catenin signaling, we performed RNAi-based loss-of-function screens in b...

β-catenin is a crucial signal transduction molecule in the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway, and increased β-catenin expression has consistently been found in high grade gliomas. However, the mechanisms responsible for β-catenin overexpression have remained elusive.Here we show that the deubiquitinase USP9X stabilizes β-catenin and thereby promotes high grade glioma cell growth. USP9X binds β-caten...

Aberrant activation of β-catenin/TCF signaling is related to the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of capsaicin on β-catenin/TCF signaling. In a concentration and time-dependent study, we observed that capsaicin treatment inhibits the activation of dishevelled (Dsh) protein DvI-1 in L3.6PL, PanC-1 and MiaPaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells. Capsaicin tr...

Purpose Ocular lens fiber cell elongation, differentiation, and compaction are associated with extensive reorganization of cell adhesive interactions and cytoskeleton; however, our knowledge of proteins critical to these events is still evolving. This study characterizes the distribution pattern of neuronal-specific α-catenin (αN-catenin) and its interaction with the N-cadherin-associated adher...

Little is known regarding the expression or clinical significance of δ-catenin, a member of the catenin family, in colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study examined the expression of δ-catenin using immunohistochemistry in 110 cases of CRC, including 70 cases with complete follow‑up records and 40 cases with paired lymph node metastases. In addition, δ‑catenin mRNA and protein expression were...

beta-Catenin and plakoglobin are highly homologous components of cell-cell adherens junctions linking cadherin receptors to the actin cytoskeleton. beta-Catenin, in addition, activates transcription by forming a complex with LEF/TCF family transcription factors in the nucleus. Plakoglobin can also bind to LEF-1 and, when overexpressed in mammalian cells, enhances LEF-1-directed transcription. P...

Abstract Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a protein that affects cholesterol homeostasis. Recent research has found PCSK9 various effects on the heart are unrelated to LDL regulation. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays crucial role during development, and it re-activated in response cardiac injury. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 (LR...

Treatment with several Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulators can change the cellular reprogramming efficiency; however, the dynamics and role of endogenous Wnt/β-catenin signaling in reprogramming remain largely unanswered. Here we identify the upregulation of WNT2 and subsequent β-catenin nuclear accumulation as key events in reprogramming. Transient nuclear accumulation of β-catenin occu...

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a major role in tissue homeostasis, and its dysregulation can lead to various human diseases. Aberrant activation of β-catenin is oncogenic and is a critical driver in the development and progression of human cancers. Despite the significant potential of targeting the oncogenic β-catenin pathway for cancer therapy, the development of specific inhibitors...