Introduction: β-catenin is a conserved and multifunctional protein and is considered as a key regulator of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. This signaling pathway is one of the most important cellular mechanisms for the regulation of cell growth, cell proliferation and tissue homeostasis. Since β-catenin plays a key role in controlling cell growth and apoptosis, structural or functional alterations of this protein, can lead to various chronic diseases, including different types of cancer. Our previous studies have shown that a number of signaling pathways through heterotrimeric G-proteins play important roles in controlling β-catenin protein expression and function. Calcitonin receptor is also a member of GPCR superfamily which activates G-proteins such as Gαs and Gαq. In this study the relationship between calcitonin receptor activity (CTR) and β-catenin protein expression and function has been investigated
Methods: RT-PCR, Real time-PCR, and immunofluorescence microscopy experiments were carried out to investigate the interaction between β-catenin and Calcitonin signaling pathways.
Results: . The results of RT-PCR and Real time-PCR experiments using c-Myc, CCND1, FGF20, and the reporter Luciferase as β-catenin-target genes suggested that calcitonin receptor signaling positively regulates β-catenin protein expression and function in HEK293T cells.Fluorescence microscopy experiments showed that the cellular localization of β-catenin protein in HEK293T cells treated with calcitonin hormone and also transfected with low amounts of calcitonin receptor was changed and apparently was restricted to the intracellular vesicles.
Conclusion: Due to the key roles played by β-catenin for regulating different cellular functions, the physiological concentrations of this protein are tightly regulated in normal cells. Deregulation of both β-catenin and Calcitonin signaling pathways can lead to various cancers, (including prostate cancer) and therefore, targeting these signaling pathways may help us to find new treatments for different human cancers
Keywords: Cancer - β-catenin - Calcitonin Receptor