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Query: UMLS:C0699790 (colon cancer)
 28,837 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene occur in most colorectal cancers and lead to activation of beta-catenin. Whereas several downstream targets of beta-catenin have been identified (c-myc, cyclin D1, PPARdelta), the precise functional significance of many of these targets has not been examined directly using genetic approaches. Previous studies have shown that the gene encoding the hormone gastrin is activated during colon cancer progression and the less-processed forms of gastrin are important colonic trophic factors. We show here that the gastrin gene is a downstream target of the beta-catenin/TCF-4 signaling pathway and that cotransfection of a constitutively active beta-catenin expression construct causes a threefold increase in gastrin promoter activity. APC(min-/+) mice overexpressing one of the alternatively processed forms of gastrin, glycine-extended gastrin, show a significant increase in polyp number. Gastrin-deficient APC(min-/+) mice, conversely, showed a marked decrease in polyp number and a significantly decreased polyp proliferation rate. Activation of gastrin by beta-catenin may therefore represent an early event in colorectal tumorigenesis and may contribute significantly toward neoplastic progression. The identification of gastrin as a functionally relevant downstream target of the beta-catenin signaling pathway provides a new target for therapeutic modalities in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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PMID:Gastrin is a target of the beta-catenin/TCF-4 growth-signaling pathway in a model of intestinal polyposis. 1095 28

The activation of lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF)/T-cell factor (TCF)-mediated transcription by sustained expression of beta-catenin and the loss of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) signaling are essential steps in carcinogenesis, particularly for cancers of the colon, breast, and liver. The oncogene c-myc is a common target of both of these signaling pathways and a key regulator of cell cycle progression. Here we have identified a novel LEF/TCF-responsive element in the promoter of the human c-myc gene. beta-Catenin activated the transcriptional activity of the c-myc promoter by binding to this element in various cell lines. When TCF-4 was bound to this element, TGF-beta dissociated beta-catenin and repressed the transcriptional activity of the c-myc promoter. However, TGF-beta could not dissociate beta-catenin and could not repress c-myc transcription when LEF-1 was bound to the element instead of TCF-4. These findings suggest that enhanced expression of LEF-1, which occurs frequently in colon cancer, may make cells refractory to the down-regulation of c-myc and the subsequent growth arrest induced by TGF-beta.
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PMID:Lymphoid enhancer factor 1 makes cells resistant to transforming growth factor beta-induced repression of c-myc. 1259 29

The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene, a member of the WNT pathway, has been shown to assign intestinal epithelial cells to a program of proliferation or differentiation through regulation of the beta-catenin/TCF-4 complex. Wild-type APC, in certain cellular contexts, appears to induce differentiation and apoptosis, although mutant forms of APC, known to produce polyps and ultimately cancers, may suppress these events. Here, we show that mutant forms of APC can induce repression of select terminal caspases as a potential means of attenuating responses to apoptotic stimuli. Using gene expression profiling to interrogate the intact intestines of Apc(+/min) mice harboring numerous polyps, we identified a reduction in the mRNA expression of both caspases 3 and 7. We additionally identified a reduction in protein levels of caspase-3, caspase-7, and caspase-9 in human colon cancer specimens known to harbor APC mutations. A reduction in caspase protein levels resulted in resistance to apoptotic-inducing agents and restoration of caspase levels reinstated apoptotic capacities. Consistent with Wnt pathway involvement, dominant negative TCF/LEF induced caspase protein expression. These data provide support for the hypothesis that one of the functions of APC is the regulation of caspase activity and other apoptotic proteins by controlling their expression levels in the cell.
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PMID:Regulation of caspase expression and apoptosis by adenomatous polyposis coli. 1290 6

Dysregulation of the Wnt pathway and altered Beta-catenin expression are central early events in colorectal carcinogenesis. We studied the ortho, meta, and para (o-, m-, and p-) positional isomers of NO-donating aspirin (NO-ASA), a chemopreventive agent against colon cancer, for their effect on Beta-catenin/T cell factor (TCF) signaling. In human SW480 colon carcinoma cells, cell-growth inhibition by NO-ASA [IC50 values for p-, o-, and m- were 48.1 +/- 4.3 (mean +/-SEM), 60.4 +/- 2.1, and 900 +/-50 microM, respectively] was accompanied by significant inhibition of Beta-catenin signaling. We determined Beta-catenin-dependent TCF-4 transcriptional activity by measuring the activity of the luciferase gene placed under the control of TCF-4 regulatory sequences. The IC50 values for Beta-catenin/TCF-4-signaling inhibition by NO-ASA were: o-, 2.6 +/- 0.4; m-, 15 +/- 5; p-, 1.1 +/- 0.1 microM; and for ASA, >5,000 microM. Total or nuclear levels of Beta-catenin and its distribution in the cell were not altered by NO-ASA, as judged by protein expression levels and semiquantitative immunofluorescence analysis. NO-ASA disrupted the association of Beta-catenin and TCF-4 in the nucleus, whereas ASA did not affect it. NO-ASA reduced the expression of cyclin D1, a downstream target gene that plays an important role in colon carcinogenesis. In contrast, a structural analog of NO-ASA lacking the -NO2 moiety did not affect TCF-4 transcriptional activity. Thus, NO-ASA inhibits Beta-catenin-mediated TCF activity by preventing the formation of the Beta-catenin/TCF-4 complex. This effect, occurring at NO-ASA concentrations far below those required to inhibit cell growth, may be a critical early event in the chemopreventive activity of NO-ASA against colon cancer.
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PMID:Nitric oxide-donating aspirin inhibits beta-catenin/T cell factor (TCF) signaling in SW480 colon cancer cells by disrupting the nuclear beta-catenin-TCF association. 1456 53

Aberrant activation of the Wnt pathway is observed in numerous cancers, and is particularly important in colon cancer. We demonstrate that Rac1 GTPase can significantly increase the signaling activity of beta-catenin in cells with inherent dysregulation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Expression of dominant-negative (N17)Rac1 mutant in colon cancer cells caused a marked inhibition of Wnt signaling, as determined by the TCF/LEF-responsive (TOPFLASH) transcription assay. Expression of a constitutively active (V12)Rac1 mutant caused up to 40-fold induction from the TOPFLASH promoter, and this was dependent on the presence of stabilized beta-catenin. This induction was completely blocked by the expression of dominant-negative TCF-4, suggesting that beta-catenin and TCF-4 complex formation is required for Rac1-mediated transcription. Furthermore, we show that Cyclin D1, an important biological Wnt target gene, is regulated by Rac1 in a beta-catenin/TCF-dependent manner. We observed that Rac1 co-immunoprecipitates with beta-catenin and TCF-4 only in its active GTP-bound form. Both cell fractionation studies and fluorescence microscopy indicate that overexpression of V12Rac1 results in increased cytosolic and nuclear expression of beta-catenin. Interestingly, mutation of the polybasic region of Rac1, which prevents its nuclear localization, also caused an appreciable decrease in nuclear localization of beta-catenin, and effectively abolished its beta-catenin-dependent transcription co-activator function. Taken together, our data demonstrate a novel mechanism of Wnt pathway regulation whereby activation of Rac1 amplifies the signaling activity of stabilized/mutated beta-catenin by promoting its accumulation in the nucleus, and synergizing with beta-catenin to augment TCF/LEF-dependent gene transcription.
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PMID:Cross-talk between Rac1 GTPase and dysregulated Wnt signaling pathway leads to cellular redistribution of beta-catenin and TCF/LEF-mediated transcriptional activation. 1537 99

It has been hypothesized that dietary conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) may inhibit colon tumorigenesis. The aim of our study was to investigate the cellular and molecular effects of cis-9 (9Z), trans-11 (11E)-CLA on the proliferation, differentiation, interaction with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), and expression of genes relevant in the APC-beta-catenin-TCF4 signalling pathway in human HT-29 and Caco-2 colon cells. We found that 9Z,11E-CLA inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 and Caco-2 cells. Trans-vaccenic acid (VA) showed no antiproliferative effects at all. We determined that 9Z,11E-CLA induced cell differentiation as measured by intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) enzyme activity in Caco-2 cells, mRNA expression of IAP, and activation of a 5' flanking region of IAP. The 9Z,11E-CLA activated human PPARdelta as measured in a reporter gene assay. Treatment of HT29 cells in the poliferation phase with 9Z,11E-CLA repressed mRNA-expression of proliferation genes such as c-myc, cyclin D1 and c-jun in a concentration dependent manner. The promoter activities of c-myc and AP1 were also inhibited after incubation with 9Z,11E-CLA. beta-Catenin mRNA and protein expression was also repressed by the treatment with 9Z,11E-CLA. In addition, the mRNA expression of PPARdelta was repressed by treatment of the HT-29 cells with 9Z,11E-CLA. We conclude that 9Z,11E-CLA has an antiproliferative effect at the cellular and molecular levels in human colon cells. The results indicate that the preventive effects of CLA in the development of colon cancer may be due to their downregulation of some target genes of the APC-beta-catenin-TCF-4- and PPARdelta signalling pathway.
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PMID:Molecular and cellular effects of cis-9, trans-11-conjugated linoleic acid in enterocytes: effects on proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression. 1593 29

Wnt regulation of gene expression requires binding of LEF/T-cell factor (LEF/TCF) transcription factors to Wnt response elements (WREs) and recruitment of the activator beta-catenin. There are significant differences in the abilities of LEF/TCF family members to regulate Wnt target genes. For example, alternatively spliced isoforms of TCF-1 and TCF-4 with a C-terminal "E" tail are uniquely potent in their activation of LEF1 and CDX1. Here we report that the mechanism responsible for this unique activity is an auxiliary 30-amino-acid DNA interaction motif referred to here as the "cysteine clamp" (or C-clamp). The C-clamp contains invariant cysteine, aromatic, and basic residues, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies with recombinant C-clamp protein showed that it binds double-stranded DNA but not single-stranded DNA or RNA (equilibrium dissociation constant = 16 nM). CASTing (Cyclic Amplification and Selection of Targets) experiments were used to test whether this motif influences WRE recognition. Full-length LEF-1, TCF-1E, and TCF-1E with a mutated C-clamp all bind nearly identical WREs (TYYCTTTGATSTT), showing that the C-clamp does not alter WRE specificity. However, a GC element downstream of the WRE (RCCG) is enriched in wild-type TCF-1E binding sites but not in mutant TCF-1E binding sites. We conclude that the C-clamp is a sequence-specific DNA binding motif. C-clamp mutations destroy the ability of beta-catenin to regulate the LEF1 promoter, and they severely impair the ability of TCF-1 to regulate growth in colon cancer cells. Thus, E-tail isoforms of TCFs utilize two DNA binding activities to access a subset of Wnt targets important for cell growth.
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PMID:A unique DNA binding domain converts T-cell factors into strong Wnt effectors. 1789 22

Nuclear beta-catenin forms a transcription complex with TCF-4, which is implicated in colon cancer development and progression. Recently, we and others have shown that beta-catenin could be a regulator of RNA splicing and it also stabilizes the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA. Here, we further explored the role of beta-catenin in the RNA metabolism in colon cancer cells. To specifically modulate the subcellular functions of beta-catenin, we expressed the RNA aptamer in the form of RNA intramers with unique cellular localizations. The nucleus-expressed RNA intramer proved to be effective in reducing the protein-protein interaction between beta-catenin and TCF-4, thus shown to be a specific regulator of beta-catenin-activated transcription. It could also regulate the alternative splicing of E1A minigene in diverse colon cancer cell lines. In addition, we tested whether beta-catenin could stabilize any other mRNAs and found that cyclin D1 mRNA was also bound and stabilized by beta-catenin. Significantly, the cytoplasm-expressed RNA intramer reverted the beta-catenin-induced COX-2 and cyclin D1 mRNA stabilization. We show here that beta-catenin regulated multiple steps of RNA metabolism in colon cancer cells and might be the protein factor coordinating RNA metabolism. We suggest that the RNA intramers could provide useful ways for inhibiting beta-catenin-mediated transcription and RNA metabolism, which might further enhance the antitumorigenic effects of these molecules in colon cancer cells.
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PMID:beta-catenin regulates multiple steps of RNA metabolism as revealed by the RNA aptamer in colon cancer cells. 1790 39

Polymorphisms of the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene have been associated with insulin sensitivity and diabetes, and the TCF7L2 gene is involved in the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, all factors thought to be important in the etiology of colon cancer. In this confirmatory study, we evaluated the rs7903146 TCF7L2 polymorphism with colon cancer using previously collected data on 1,578 cases and 1,966 controls. We did not observe a statistically significant association between the rs7903146 polymorphisms and risk of colon cancer [odds ratio (OR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.98-1.28] when evaluating the total population. We did, however, observe a statistically significant interaction between the rs7903146 TCF7L2 polymorphism and recent use of aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID; P = 0.001). Increased colon cancer risk associated with the T allele was restricted to those without recent use of aspirin/NSAIDs (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.35-2.02, relative to recent aspirin users, i.e., use of aspirin/NSAIDS within the 2 years before diagnosis, with the CC genotype). Among individuals who reported recent use of aspirin/NSAIDs, the T allele reduced risk of colon cancer (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.98) in a dose-response fashion (P for linear trend across genotypes = 0.03). These data suggest that colon cancer risk associated with the rs7903146 TCF7L2 polymorphism is modified by use of aspirin/NSAIDs.
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PMID:Transcription factor 7-like 2 polymorphism and colon cancer. 1839 40

We examined the effect of celecoxib on the expression of T-cell factors (TCFs) to clarify the mechanism by which celecoxib suppress beta-catenin/TCF-dependent transcriptional activity without reducing the level of beta-catenin protein, using HCT-116 cells. Celecoxib suppressed the expression of TCF-1 and TCF-4 in a time-dependent manner. Pretreatment of cells with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 inhibited the loss of TCF-1 and TCF-4 induced by celecoxib, suggesting that celecoxib induced the proteasome-dependent degradation of TCF-1 and TCF-4. Beta-catenin/TCF-dependent transcriptional activity was significantly decreased after the treatment with celecoxib for 6 h and the pretreatment of the cells with MG132 attenuated the effect of celecoxib. Further, celecoxib also suppressed the expression of TCF-1 and TCF-4 in another colon cancer cell line, DLD-1. Our results suggest that TCF-1 and TCF-4 degradation may involve the inhibition of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway induced by celecoxib.
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PMID:Celecoxib-induced degradation of T-cell factors-1 and -4 in human colon cancer cells. 1898 19


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