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Distinct β-catenins mediate adhesion and signalling functions in C. elegans

Nature volume 406, pages 527–532 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

In flies and vertebrates, Armadillo/β-catenin forms a complex with Tcf/Lef-1 transcription factors, serving as an essential co-activator to mediate Wnt signalling. It also associates with cadherins to mediate adhesion. In Caenorhabditis elegans, three putative β-catenin homologues have been identified: WRM-1, BAR-1 and HMP-2. WRM-1 and the Tcf homologue POP-1 mediate Wnt signalling by a mechanism that has challenged current views of the Wnt pathway1,2,3. Here we show that BAR-1 is the only β-catenin homologue that interacts directly with POP-1. BAR-1 mediates Wnt signalling by forming a BAR-1/POP-1 bipartite transcription factor that activates expression of Wnt target genes such as the Hox gene mab-5. HMP-2 is the only β-catenin homologue that interacts with the single cadherin of C. elegans, HMR-1. We conclude that a canonical Wnt pathway exists in C. elegans. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the functions of C. elegans β-catenins in adhesion and in signalling are performed by separate proteins.

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Figure 1: POP-1 is a functional Tcf homologue.
Figure 2: Physical interactions between the three C. elegans β-catenins and POP-1 and HMR-1.
Figure 3: POP-1 and BAR-1 activate transcription of a Tcf reporter gene.
Figure 4: Expression of ΔN-POP-1 inhibits mab-5 expression.
Figure 5: The signalling and adhesion functions of Armadillo/β-catenin are distributed over three different β-catenin homologues in C. elegans .

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Meyaard for critically reading the manuscript and members of the Clevers laboratory for helpful discussions; C. Kenyon for the mab-5 reporter muIs2; Q. Ch’ng and C. Kenyon for tips on staining muIs2 animals for β-galactosidase expression; and A. Fire for pPD49.78. This work was supported in part by an NIH grant to M.H and PIONEER and Program grants from NWO Medische Wefenschappen to H.C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology,

    Hendrik C. Korswagen & Hans C. Clevers

  2. Center for Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, CX Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands

    Hans C. Clevers

  3. Division of Biology, Program in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, 66506, Kansas, USA

    Michael A. Herman

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Correspondence to Hendrik C. Korswagen.

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Korswagen, H., Herman, M. & Clevers, H. Distinct β-catenins mediate adhesion and signalling functions in C. elegans. Nature 406, 527–532 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35020099

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