A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway shares a key component, β-catenin, with the cadherin-based adhesion system. The signalling function of β-catenin is conferred by a soluble cytoplasmic pool that is unstable in the absence of a Wnt signal, whilst the adhesion function is based on a cadherin-bound,...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3166074?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818848271543566336 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara Howard Tom Deroo Yasuyuki Fujita Nobue Itasaki |
| author_facet | Sara Howard Tom Deroo Yasuyuki Fujita Nobue Itasaki |
| author_sort | Sara Howard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway shares a key component, β-catenin, with the cadherin-based adhesion system. The signalling function of β-catenin is conferred by a soluble cytoplasmic pool that is unstable in the absence of a Wnt signal, whilst the adhesion function is based on a cadherin-bound, stable pool at the membrane. The cadherin complex is dynamic, allowing for cell-cell rearrangements such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), where the complex turns over through internalisation. Potential interplay between the two pools remains poorly understood, but cadherins are generally considered negative regulators of Wnt signalling because they sequester cytoplasmic β-catenin. Here we explore how cellular changes at EMT affect the signalling capacity of β-catenin using two models of EMT: hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) treatment of MDCK cells, and gastrulation in embryonic development. We show that EMT not only provides a pool of signalling-competent β-catenin following internalisation of cadherin, but also significantly facilitates activation of the Wnt pathway in response to both Wnt signals and exogenous β-catenin. We further demonstrate that availability of β-catenin in the cytoplasm does not necessarily correlate with Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity, since blocking endocytosis or depleting endogenous cadherin abolishes pathway activation despite the presence of β-catenin in the cytoplasm. Lastly we present data suggesting that cadherins are required for augmented activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vivo. This suggests that cadherins play a crucial role in β-catenin-dependent transcription. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:14:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ef85b967ee64b688eb2266d0d1b8f24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:14:41Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ef85b967ee64b688eb2266d0d1b8f242022-12-21T20:32:53ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0168e2389910.1371/journal.pone.0023899A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition.Sara HowardTom DerooYasuyuki FujitaNobue ItasakiThe Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway shares a key component, β-catenin, with the cadherin-based adhesion system. The signalling function of β-catenin is conferred by a soluble cytoplasmic pool that is unstable in the absence of a Wnt signal, whilst the adhesion function is based on a cadherin-bound, stable pool at the membrane. The cadherin complex is dynamic, allowing for cell-cell rearrangements such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), where the complex turns over through internalisation. Potential interplay between the two pools remains poorly understood, but cadherins are generally considered negative regulators of Wnt signalling because they sequester cytoplasmic β-catenin. Here we explore how cellular changes at EMT affect the signalling capacity of β-catenin using two models of EMT: hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) treatment of MDCK cells, and gastrulation in embryonic development. We show that EMT not only provides a pool of signalling-competent β-catenin following internalisation of cadherin, but also significantly facilitates activation of the Wnt pathway in response to both Wnt signals and exogenous β-catenin. We further demonstrate that availability of β-catenin in the cytoplasm does not necessarily correlate with Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity, since blocking endocytosis or depleting endogenous cadherin abolishes pathway activation despite the presence of β-catenin in the cytoplasm. Lastly we present data suggesting that cadherins are required for augmented activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vivo. This suggests that cadherins play a crucial role in β-catenin-dependent transcription.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3166074?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Sara Howard Tom Deroo Yasuyuki Fujita Nobue Itasaki A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. PLoS ONE |
| title | A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. |
| title_full | A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. |
| title_fullStr | A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. |
| title_short | A positive role of cadherin in Wnt/β-catenin signalling during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. |
| title_sort | positive role of cadherin in wnt β catenin signalling during epithelial mesenchymal transition |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3166074?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahoward apositiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT tomderoo apositiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT yasuyukifujita apositiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT nobueitasaki apositiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT sarahoward positiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT tomderoo positiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT yasuyukifujita positiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition AT nobueitasaki positiveroleofcadherininwntbcateninsignallingduringepithelialmesenchymaltransition |