Article abstract
Nature Cell Biology 4, 367 - 373 (2002)
Published online: 22 April 2002 | doi:10.1038/ncb786
A new nuclear component of the Wnt signalling pathway
Barry Thompson1, Fiona Townsley1, Rina Rosin-Arbesfeld1, Hannah Musisi1 & Mariann Bienz1
Abstract
The Wnt signalling pathway is pivotal in normal and malignant development. A key effector is Armadillo (Arm)/
-catenin, which functions with TCF to transcribe Wnt target-genes. Here, we report the discovery of pygopus (pygo), whose mutant phenotypes specifically mimic loss-of-Wingless (Wg) signalling. pygo is required for dTCF-mediated transcription, but not for Wg-induced stabilization of Arm. Pygo is a nuclear protein that is found in a complex with Arm in vivo. Humans possess two Pygo proteins, both of which are required for TCF-mediated transcription in colorectal cancer cells. The presence of a PHD domain implicates Pygo proteins in a chromatin-related function, and we propose that they mediate chromatin access to TCF or Arm/-catenin.
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QH, UK
Correspondence to: Mariann Bienz1 e-mail: mb2@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
