Aberrant nuclear localization of EBP50 promotes colorectal carcinogenesis in xenotransplanted mice by modulating TCF-1 and β-catenin interactions

J Clin Invest. 2012 May;122(5):1881-94. doi: 10.1172/JCI45661. Epub 2012 Apr 2.

Abstract

Dysregulation of canonical Wnt signaling is thought to play a role in colon carcinogenesis. β-Catenin, a key mediator of the pathway, is stabilized upon Wnt activation and accumulates in the nucleus, where it can interact with the transcription factor T cell factor (TCF) to transactivate gene expression. Normal colonic epithelia express a truncated TCF-1 form, called dnTCF-1, that lacks the critical β-catenin-binding domain and behaves as a transcriptional suppressor. How the cell maintains a balance between the two forms of TCF-1 is unclear. Here, we show that ERM-binding phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50) modulates the interaction between β-catenin and TCF-1. We observed EBP50 localization to the nucleus of human colorectal carcinoma cell lines at low cell culture densities and human primary colorectal tumors that manifested a poor clinical outcome. In contrast, EBP50 was primarily membranous in confluent cell lines. Aberrantly located EBP50 stabilized conventional β-catenin/TCF-1 complexes and connected β-catenin to dnTCF-1 to form a ternary molecular complex that enhanced Wnt/β-catenin signaling events, including the transcription of downstream oncogenes such as c-Myc and cyclin D1. Genome-wide analysis of the EBP50 occupancy pattern revealed consensus binding motifs bearing similarity to Wnt-responsive element. Conventional chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that EBP50 bound to genomic regions highly enriched with TCF/LEF binding motifs. Knockdown of EBP50 in human colorectal carcinoma cell lines compromised cell cycle progression, anchorage-independent growth, and tumorigenesis in nude mice. We therefore suggest that nuclear EBP50 facilitates colon tumorigenesis by modulating the interaction between β-catenin and TCF-1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Active Transport, Cell Nucleus*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Carcinoma / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry
  • Multiprotein Complexes / genetics
  • Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • PDZ Domains
  • Phosphoproteins / chemistry
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • Signal Transduction
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / chemistry
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / genetics
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / metabolism*
  • T Cell Transcription Factor 1 / chemistry
  • T Cell Transcription Factor 1 / metabolism*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers
  • T Cell Transcription Factor 1
  • beta Catenin
  • sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor