Multivalent tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli promotes Axin biomolecular condensate formation and efficient β-catenin degradation

Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 15;10(1):17425. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-74080-2.

Abstract

The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is frequently mutated in colorectal cancers. APC and Axin are core components of a destruction complex that scaffolds GSK3β and CK1 to earmark β-catenin for proteosomal degradation. Disruption of APC results in pathologic stabilization of β-catenin and oncogenesis. However, the molecular mechanism by which APC promotes β-catenin degradation is unclear. Here, we find that the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of APC, which contains multiple β-catenin and Axin interacting sites, undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro. Expression of the APC IDR in colorectal cells promotes Axin puncta formation and β-catenin degradation. Our results support the model that multivalent interactions between APC and Axin drives the β-catenin destruction complex to form biomolecular condensates in cells, which concentrate key components to achieve high efficient degradation of β-catenin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Axin Protein / metabolism*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Genes, APC*
  • Humans
  • Proteolysis
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Axin Protein
  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • beta Catenin