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Signal Transduction
Metazoans
Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway
Controls cell fate, proliferation, and polarity through β-catenin stabilization.
Overview
In the canonical Wnt pathway, Wnt ligands bind to Frizzled receptors and LRP5/6 co-receptors, leading to the inhibition of the β-catenin destruction complex (APC, Axin, GSK-3β, CK1). Stabilized β-catenin accumulates and translocates to the nucleus, where it associates with TCF/LEF transcription factors to activate target genes involved in proliferation, stem cell maintenance, and cell fate determination.
Cellular Location
Membrane → Cytoplasm → Nucleus
Clinical Significance
Essential for embryonic development and tissue homeostasis; aberrant activation drives colorectal cancer (APC mutations) and other malignancies.