Synergistic activation of the Wnt signaling pathway by Dvl and casein kinase Iepsilon

J Biol Chem. 2001 Aug 31;276(35):33147-55. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M103555200. Epub 2001 Jun 25.

Abstract

Although casein kinase Iepsilon (CKIepsilon) has been shown to regulate the Wnt signaling pathway positively, its mode of action is not clear. In this study we show that CKIepsilon activates the Wnt signaling pathway in co-operation with Dvl. CKIepsilon and Axin associated with different sites of Dvl, and CKIepsilon and Dvl interacted with distinct regions on Axin. Therefore, these three proteins formed a ternary complex. Either low expression of Dvl or CKIepsilon alone did not accumulate beta-catenin, but their co-expression accumulated greatly. Dvl and CKIepsilon activated the transcriptional activity of T cell factor (Tcf) synergistically. Although the Dvl mutant that binds to Axin but not to CKIepsilon activated Tcf, it did not synergize with CKIepsilon. Another Dvl mutant that does not bind to Axin did not activate Tcf irrespective of the presence of CKIepsilon. Furthermore, Dvl and CKIepsilon co-operatively induced axis duplication of Xenopus embryos. These results indicate that Dvl and CKIepsilon synergistically activated the Wnt signaling pathway and that the binding of the complex of Dvl and CKIepsilon to Axin is necessary for their synergistic action.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Animals
  • Axin Protein
  • COS Cells
  • Casein Kinases
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / isolation & purification
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Kinases / isolation & purification
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proteins / genetics
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Repressor Proteins*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Xenopus Proteins
  • Zebrafish Proteins*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Axin Protein
  • DVL1 protein, Xenopus
  • Dishevelled Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Xenopus Proteins
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • axin1 protein, Xenopus
  • Protein Kinases
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Casein Kinases