SFI-CAST Biomedical Innovation Center, Unit for Cell Signaling, Oslo University Hospital,Forskningsparken, Gaustadalleén 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway.
Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(4):634-64. doi: 10.2174/138161213804581837.
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a branch of a functional network that dates back to the first metazoans and it is involved in a broad range of biological systems including stem cells, embryonic development and adult organs. Deregulation of components involved in Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been implicated in a wide spectrum of diseases including a number of cancers and degenerative diseases. The key mediator of Wnt signaling, β-catenin, serves several cellular functions. It functions in a dynamic mode at multiple cellular locations, including the plasma membrane, where β-catenin contributes to the stabilization of intercellular adhesive complexes, the cytoplasm where β-catenin levels are regulated and the nucleus where β-catenin is involved in transcriptional regulation and chromatin interactions. Central effectors of β-catenin levels are a family of cysteine-rich secreted glycoproteins, known as Wnt morphogens. Through the LRP5/6-Frizzled receptor complex, Wnts regulate the location and activity of the destruction complex and consequently intracellular β- catenin levels. However, β-catenin levels and their effects on transcriptional programs are also influenced by multiple other factors including hypoxia, inflammation, hepatocyte growth factor-mediated signaling, and the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. The broad implications of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in development, in the adult body and in disease render the pathway a prime target for pharmacological research and development. The intricate regulation of β-catenin at its various locations provides alternative points for therapeutic interventions.
Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路是一个功能网络的分支,可追溯到最早的后生动物,它参与了广泛的生物系统,包括干细胞、胚胎发育和成人器官。参与 Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路的成分失调与广泛的疾病有关,包括许多癌症和退行性疾病。Wnt 信号的关键介质β-catenin 具有多种细胞功能。它在多个细胞位置以动态模式发挥作用,包括质膜,其中β-catenin 有助于稳定细胞间黏附复合物;细胞质,β-catenin 的水平在此受到调节;细胞核,β-catenin 参与转录调节和染色质相互作用。β-catenin 水平的中央效应物是一类富含半胱氨酸的分泌糖蛋白,称为 Wnt 形态发生素。通过 LRP5/6-Frizzled 受体复合物,Wnts 调节破坏复合物的位置和活性,从而调节细胞内β-catenin 水平。然而,β-catenin 水平及其对转录程序的影响也受到多种其他因素的影响,包括缺氧、炎症、肝细胞生长因子介导的信号转导和细胞黏附分子 E-cadherin。Wnt/β-catenin 信号通路在发育、成人身体和疾病中的广泛影响使其成为药理学研究和开发的主要目标。β-catenin 在其各种位置的精细调节提供了治疗干预的替代点。