{beta}-Catenin can act as a nuclear import receptor for its partner transcription factor, lymphocyte enhancer factor-1 (lef-1)
- Department of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)
- Department of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan) and Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)
Nuclear accumulation of {beta}-catenin plays an important role in the Wnt signaling pathway. In the nucleus, {beta}-catenin acts as a transcriptional co-activator for TCF/LEF family of transcription factors. It has been shown that lef-1 contains a typical basic type nuclear localization signal (NLS) and is transported into the nucleus by the conventional import pathway. In this study, we found that a mutant lef-1 lacking the classical NLS accumulated in the nucleus of living cells, when {beta}-catenin was co-expressed. In addition, in a cell-free import assay, lef-1 migrated into the nucleus in the presence of {beta}-catenin alone without any other soluble factors. In contrast, another mutant lef-1 lacking the {beta}-catenin binding domain failed to migrate into the nucleus, even in the presence of {beta}-catenin. These findings indicate that {beta}-catenin alone can mediate the nuclear import of lef-1 through the direct binding. Collectively, we propose that there are two distinct pathways for the nuclear import of lef-1: importin {alpha}/{beta}-mediated and {beta}-catenin-mediated one, which provides a novel paradigm for Wnt signaling pathway.
- OSTI ID:
- 20717643
- Journal Information:
- Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 308; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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