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Description

beta-Catenin (UniProt: O42486, also known as b-Cat) is encoded by the BCat gene (Gene ID: 395964) in chicken. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, a highly conserved pathway through evolution, regulates key cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, migration, genetic stability, apoptosis, and stem cell renewal. beta-catenin is a key downstream component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway that participates in intercellular adhesion and Wnt-mediated transcriptional activation. In the absence of Wnt, it forms a complex with AXIN1, AXIN2, APC, CSNK1A1, and GSK-3beta that promotes phosphorylation on N-terminal serine and threonine residues that leads to its subsequent degradation by the proteasome. In the presence of Wnt ligand, it is not ubiquitinated and accumulates in the nucleus, where it acts as a coactivator for transcription factors of the TCF/LEF family, which leads to activation of Wnt responsive genes. O-glycosylation at serine 23 is reported to decreases its nuclear localization and transcriptional activity. Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is shown to be essential for embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency and differentiation. In ESC beta-catenin is trimethylated on Lysine 49 by Ezh2 methyltransferase and this trimethylated form represses neuronal differentiation genes Sox1 and Sox3. Mutations in beta-catenin gene in humans are reported to cause colorectal cancers, medulloblastoma, and ovarian cancers. (Ref.: Hoffmeyer, K., et al. (2017). Cell Reports 18(12), 2815-2824, Pai, SC., et al. (2017). J. Hematol. Oncol. 10, Article 101, Johnson, KR., et al. (1993). Exp. Cell Res. 207(2), 252-260).