Roles of axin in the Wnt signaling pathway

Abstract

The Wnt signaling pathway plays important roles in cell shape, cell movement, cell adhesion, cell proliferation and differentiation, oncogenesis and development. Axin is an axis inhibitor. As a scaffold protein, it plays a critical role in the Wnt signaling pathway. Axin regulates the phosphorylation and stability of #beta#-catenin via different mechanisms. It facilitates #beta#-catenin degradation by assembling a #beta#-catenin destruction complex including APC, GSK-3#beta#, #beta#-catenin, CKI#alpha# and axin itself. The homodimerization, nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling, phosphorylation and stability of axin itself also play important roles in #beta#-catenin regulation. In the Wnt signaling pathway, axin participates in the regulations of a series of biological effects such as axis development, cell death, neuronal differentiation and so on. As a newly recognized tumor suppressor, axin will provide a newly impactful means for diagnosis and therapy of cancer.