Wnt信号通路与细胞的生长发育和分化等密切相关,是细胞中重要的信号转导途径,在多种癌症中,都有该通路的异常改变.Wnt信号通路主要是通过一系列蛋白将Wnt信号传导至β连环蛋白(β-catenin,β-cat),使后者入核并与转录因子T细胞因子/淋巴细胞增强因子(T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor,TCF/LEF)结合,从而促进下游基因的转录,进而调控细胞的多种生理过程.在该通路中,涉及轴蛋白(Axin)、结肠腺瘤样息肉病蛋白(adenomatous polyposis coli,APC)、糖原合酶激酶3β(glycogen synthase kinase-3β,GSK-3β)、β连环蛋白和酪蛋白激酶Ⅰ(casein kinase Ⅰ,CKI)等众多调节因子,这些因子能发生多种化学修饰,如磷酸化、泛素化(ubiquitylation)、苏素化(small ubiquitin relatedmoditier,SUMO)和乙酰化等,从而影响β连环蛋白、T细胞因子的稳定性、细胞定位以及活性,最终起到调节Wnt信号通路的作用.
Wnt signaling pathway plays important roles in cell growth and differentiation, and its abnormity has been reported to be related to various tumors. The Wnt signal mediated by several proteins leads the β- catenin transloeation from cytoplasm into nucleus and allows its interaction with nuclear transcription factor LEF/TCF, then activates the target gene expression to regulate the cellular physiological processes accordingly. The protein factors involved in the Wnt signaling pathway, including Axin, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), β-catenin and casein kinase Ⅰ (CKI), can be modified by phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, sumoylation and aeetylation. These modifications influence the stability, trarlslocation and activity of both β- catenin and LEF/TCF as to regulate Wnt signaling.