Ubiquitin Specific Protease 4 Positively Regulates the WNT/β-catenin Signaling in Colorectal Cancer

β-catenin is a key signal transducer in the canonical WNT pathway and is negatively regulated by ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Through screening of various deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), we identified ubiquitin specific protease 4 (USP4) as a candidate for β-catenin-specific DUB. The effects of USP4 overexpression or knockdown suggested that USP4 positively controls the stability of β-catenin and enhances β-catenin-regulated transcription. Domain mapping results revealed that the C-terminal catalytic domain is responsible for β-catenin binding and nuclear transport.

Source: Molecular Oncology - July 3, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Sun-Il Yun, Hyeon Ho Kim, Jung Hwan Yoon, Won Sang Park, Myong-Joon Hahn, Hee Cheol Kim, Chin Ha Chung, Kyeong Kyu Kim Source Type: research