Beta-catenin - I am versatile! | Antibody News: Novus Biologicals

Beta-catenin is a cytosolic, 88 kDa intracellular protein associated with cell surface cadherin glycoproteins. It is a member of the larger calcium-dependent catenin family that includes alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin (also known as plakoglobin). Beta-catenin enters the nucleus to interact with TCF/LEF (Lymphoid enhancer factor-1) transcription factor family. It is normally inhibited by the GSK (glycogen synthase kinase) or CK1 (casein kinase 1) as phosphorylation of beta-catenin targets it for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. The beta-catenin/TCF pathway is involved in T-cell development and differentiation and may be a target for immune and autoimmune disorders.

Immunohistochemistry-Paraffin: beta Catenin Antibody

Knudsen’s group performed structural studies with the beta-catenin antibody to demonstrate that beta-catenin is a crucial link between cytoplasmic cytoskeletal actin and transmembrane cadherin for tight cell-to-cell adhesion¹. The same group of researchers also employed the beta-catenin antibody in later studies including yeast two-hybrid experiments to map domains of catenin and actinin responsible for such interactions². Gaspar at el performed immunohistochemical studies with beta-catenin antibody in their mammary and intestinal tumorigenesis studies examining adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene mutations³. Their results suggest that specific dosing of Wnt and beta-catenin signaling modulate homeostasis in tissues and drive tumorigenesis in a very organ-specific manner. Further immunohistochemical studies with beta-catenin antibody were also done in an ulcerative colitis (UC) model system⁴. There, the beta-catenin antibody allowed a Dutch research group to demonstrate that the Wnt pathway is activated in early stages of malignancy in UC in synchronized coordination with (oncogene) cyclin D1 upregulation and (tumor suppressor) E-cadherin downregulation⁴.