Nuclear β-Catenin Signaling as a Target for Anticancer Drug Development

Abstract

β-Catenin is a multifunctional protein that acts as a component of the adherens junction regulating homotypic cell—cell adhesion and as a co-activator of the transcription of lymphoid enhancer binding factor/T cell-specific factor (LEF/ TCF) target genes (1–3). β-Catenin was first identified as a 92–94 kDa protein associated with the cytoplasmic tail of the E-cadherin adhesion protein (4, 5). At that time, two other members of the catenin family, α and γ catenin, were also isolated in association with E-cadherin (6). The name catenin is derived from the Latin catena or chain, because the catenins were thought to link E-cadherin and the cytoskeleton (7). This hypothesis was substantiated when it was shown that the ability of E-cadherin to function as a mediator of homotypic cell—cell interactions is dependent on catenins (8–11).