?-Catenin promotes E-cadherin processing and activates ?-catenin-mediated signaling: implications on human prostate cancer progression.
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ABSTRACT: ?-Catenin binds the juxtamembrane domain of E-cadherin and is known to be overexpressed in some human tumors. However, the functions of ?-catenin in epithelial cells and carcinomas remain elusive. We found that prostate cancer cells overexpressing ?-catenin show an increase in multi-layer growth in culture. In these cells, ?-catenin colocalizes with E-cadherin at the plasma membrane, and the E-cadherin processing is noticeably elevated. E-Cadherin processing induced by ?-catenin is serum-dependent and requires MMP- and PS-1/?-secretase-mediated activities. A deletion mutant of ?-catenin that deprives the ability of ?-catenin to bind E-cadherin or to recruit PS-1 to E-cadherin totally abolishes the ?-catenin-induced E-cadherin processing and the multi-layer growth of the cells. In addition, prostate cancer cells overexpressing ?-catenin display an elevated total ?-catenin level and increase its nuclear distribution, resulting in the activation of ?-catenin/LEF-1-mediated transcription and their downstream target genes as well as androgen receptor-mediated transcription. Indeed, human prostate tumor xenograft in nude mice, which is derived from cells overexpressing ?-catenin, shows increased ?-catenin nuclear localization and more rapid growth rates. Moreover, the metastatic xenograft tumor weights positively correlate with the level of 29kD E-cadherin fragment, and primary human prostate tumor tissues also show elevated levels of ?-catenin expression and the E-cadherin processing. Taken together, these results suggest that ?-catenin plays an important role in prostate cancer progression through inducing E-cadherin processing and thereby activating ?-catenin-mediated oncogenic signals.
SUBMITTER: Kim H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3763829 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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