The adenomatous polyposis coli protein: the Achilles heel of the gut epithelium.
The Adenomatous Polyposis coli (APC) gene is mutated or lost in most colon cancers, and the APC protein has emerged as a multifunctional protein that is not only involved in the Wnt-regulated degradation of -catenin, but also regulates cytoskeletal proteins and thus plays a role in cell migration, cell adhesion, and mitosis. The gut epithelium is uniquely dependent on an intricate balance between a number of fundamental cellular processes including migration, differentiation, adhesion, apoptosis, and mitosis. In this review, I discuss the molecular mechanisms that govern the various functions of APC and their relationship to the role of APC in colon cancer.[1]References
- The adenomatous polyposis coli protein: the Achilles heel of the gut epithelium. Näthke, I.S. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. (2004) [Pubmed]
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