Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Reconstitution Of β-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract
Published on: June 17, 2014
beta-catenin destruction complex: insights and questions from a structural perspective
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7350, USA. kimelman@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
At the heart of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway is the beta-catenin destruction complex, which functions in the absence of Wnt signaling to keep the cytosolic and nuclear levels of beta-catenin very low by promoting the phosphorylation and ubiquitination of beta-catenin. Structural studies, combined with other experimental approaches, have begun to provide important insights into the mechanism of the destruction complex. We suggest a working model for the destruction complex based on the existing structural and experimental data, and focus on the questions that this model and other studies have raised about the function of the complex in both the normal and Wnt-inhibited states.
Related Concept Videos
Catenins
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Structure of Cadherins
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Structural Protein Function
Collagen, the most abundant protein in mammals, is found throughout the body. In connective tissue, such as skin, ligaments, and tendons, it provides tensile strength and elasticity. In bones and teeth, it mineralizes to form...
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
