E-cadherin suppresses cellular transformation by inhibiting beta-catenin signaling in an adhesion-independent manner

J Cell Biol. 2001 May 28;153(5):1049-60. doi: 10.1083/jcb.153.5.1049.

Abstract

E-cadherin is a tumor suppressor protein with a well-established role in cell-cell adhesion. Adhesion could contribute to tumor suppression either by physically joining cells or by facilitating other juxtacrine signaling events. Alternatively, E-cadherin tumor suppressor activity could result from binding and antagonizing the nuclear signaling function of beta-catenin, a known proto-oncogene. To distinguish between an adhesion- versus a beta-catenin signaling-dependent mechanism, chimeric cadherin constructs were expressed in the SW480 colorectal tumor cell line. Expression of wild-type E-cadherin significantly inhibits the growth of this cell line. Growth inhibitory activity is retained by all constructs that have the beta-catenin binding region of the cytoplasmic domain but not by E-cadherin constructs that exhibit adhesive activity, but lack the beta-catenin binding region. This growth suppression correlates with a reduction in beta-catenin/T cell factor (TCF) reporter gene activity. Importantly, direct inhibition of beta-catenin/TCF signaling inhibits the growth of SW480 cells, and the growth inhibitory activity of E-cadherin is rescued by constitutively activated forms of TCF. Thus, the growth suppressor activity of E-cadherin is adhesion independent and results from an inhibition of the beta-catenin/TCF signaling pathway, suggesting that loss of E-cadherin expression can contribute to upregulation of this pathway in human cancers. E-cadherin-mediated growth suppression was not accompanied by overall depletion of beta-catenin from the cytosol and nucleus. This appears to be due to the existence of a large pool of cytosolic beta-catenin in SW480 cells that is refractory to both cadherin binding and TCF binding. Thus, a small pool of beta-catenin that can bind TCF (i.e., the transcriptionally active pool) can be selectively depleted by E-cadherin expression. The existence of functionally distinct pools of cytosolic beta-catenin suggests that there are mechanisms to regulate beta-catenin signaling in addition to controlling its level of accumulation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Cadherins / chemistry
  • Cadherins / genetics
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology*
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Genes, Reporter / genetics
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Deletion / genetics
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Trans-Activators*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • beta Catenin

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Cadherins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
  • MAS1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • beta Catenin