The Roles of APC and Axin Derived from Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of the Wnt Pathway

Wnt signaling plays an important role in both oncogenesis and development. Activation of the Wnt pathway results in stabilization of the transcriptional coactivator beta-catenin. Recent studies have demonstrated that axin, which coordinates beta-catenin degradation, is itself degraded. Although the key molecules required for transducing a Wnt signal have been identified, a quantitative understanding of this pathway has been lacking. We have developed a mathematical model for the canonical Wnt pathway that describes the interactions among the core components: Wnt, Frizzled, Dishevelled, GSK3beta, APC, axin, beta-catenin, and TCF. Using a system of differential equations, the model incorporates the kinetics of…

• LA
  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

  Award: SFB 555
• NI
  National Institute of General Medical Sciences