Analysis of the beta-catenin/T cell factor signaling pathway in 36 gastrointestinal and liver cancer cells. |
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| Authors: | Tsuneo Ikenoue Hideaki Ijichi Naoya Kato Fumihiko Kanai Tsutomu Masaki William Rengifo Makoto Okamoto Masayuki Matsumura Takao Kawabe Yasushi Shiratori Masao Omata |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. t-ikenoue@asahi-life.or.jp |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the frequency and mechanism of beta-catenin/T cell factor (Tcf) signaling activation in a panel of 36 human gastrointestinal and liver cancer cell lines. Reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that the beta-catenin/Tcf signaling was upregulated in 12 of 12 (100%) colorectal, 5 of 8 (68%) gastric, 2 of 7 (29%) hepatic, and none of 9 pancreatic cancer cell lines. The activation of the pathway was mainly due to the mutation of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) or beta-catenin, and Tcf-4 was highly expressed in these cell lines with upregulated signaling. Nuclear beta-catenin was observed not only in the signaling-activated cell lines, but also in 14 of 25 (56%) primary gastric cancers, 15 of 20 (75%) colon cancers, 5 of 19 (26%) hepatocellular carcinomas, and none of 13 pancreatic cancers. The presence of signaling-upregulated gastric cancer cell lines with intact APC and beta-catenin suggests the involvement of other mechanisms than mutations of APC or beta-catenin. |
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