Galangin suppresses the proliferation of β-catenin response transcription-positive cancer cells by promoting adenomatous polyposis coli/Axin/glycogen synthase kinase-3β-independent β-catenin degradation.

Galangin is a naturally occurring bioflavonoid with anticancer activity against certain human cancers, yet little is known about its mechanism of action. Here, we used a chemical biology approach to reveal that galangin suppresses β-catenin response transcription (CRT), which is aberrantly up-regulated in colorectal and liver cancers, by promoting the degradation of intracellular β-catenin. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activity or mutation of the GSK-3β-targeted sequence from β-catenin was unable to abrogate the galangin-mediated degradation of β-catenin. In addition, galangin down-regulated the intracellular β-catenin levels in cancer cells with inactivating mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) or Axin, which are components of the β-catenin destruction complex. Galangin repressed the expression of β-catenin/T-cell factor-dependent genes, such as cyclin D1 and c-myc, and thus inhibited the proliferation of CRT-positive cancer cells. Structure-activity data indicated that the major structural requirements for galangin-mediated β-catenin degradation are hydroxyl groups at positions 3, 5, and 7. Our findings suggest that galangin exerts its anticancer activity by promoting APC/Axin/GSK-3β-independent proteasomal degradation of β-catenin.