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Encyclopedia of Cancer pp 1–3Cite as

APC/β-Catenin Pathway

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Synonyms

The terms Wnt pathway and APC/β-catenin pathway have been used interchangeably. Because some Wnt proteins have β-catenin-independent effects, and since β-catenin can be affected by upstream pathways other than Wnt, the term APC/β-catenin is used here.

Definition

The APC/β-catenin pathway is a signal transduction pathway important in development and tumorigenesis. Signaling by this pathway is defined as the stabilization of β-catenin and transcriptional activation of several target genes.

Characteristics

β-Catenin is a multifunctional protein with roles in adhesion and signal transduction. The adhesion properties of β-catenin reflect its ability to interact with E-cadherinat the cellular membrane, and the alteration of this important cellular function has been associated with an increased invasion potential of cancer cells. In addition to this important role, β-catenin is also found in a cytoplasmic/nuclear pool and is believed to act as a signal transduction molecule....

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References

  • Aberle H, Bauer A, Stappert J et al (1997) β-Catenin is a target for the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. EMBO J 16:3797–3804

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  • Morin PJ (1999) β-Catenin signaling and cancer. Bioessays 21:1021–1030

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  • Morin PJ, Sparks AB, Korinek V et al (1997) Activation of β-catenin-Tcf signaling in colon cancer by mutations in β-catenin or APC. Science 275:1787–1790

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  • Orford K, Crockett C, Jensen JP et al (1997) Serine phosphorylation-regulated ubiquitination and degradation of β-catenin. J Biol Chem 272:24735–24738

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  • Peifer M, Polakis P (2000) Wnt signaling in oncogenesis and embryogenesis – a look outside the nucleus. Science 287:1606–1609

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Pat J. Morin

  2. Department of Pathology, Oncology and Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Pat J. Morin

  3. American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Pat J. Morin

Authors
  1. Pat J. Morin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pat J. Morin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Morin, P.J. (2015). APC/β-Catenin Pathway. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_348-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_348-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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