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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Reconstitution Of β-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract
Published on: June 17, 2014
Role of beta-catenin in epidermal stem cell expansion, lineage selection, and cancer
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QR, United Kingdom;
Abstract:
The mammalian epidermis is an excellent model with which to analyze the factors that regulate adult stem cell renewal, lineage selection, and tumor formation. One of the key regulators of all three processes is beta-catenin, the main cytoplasmic effector of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. In this chapter, we review some of the ways in which beta-catenin exerts its effects on cultured human epidermal cells and in genetically modified mice. We highlight the importance of the timing and level of activation and discuss some of the pathways activated downstream from beta-catenin. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of Lef/Tcf-independent beta-catenin signaling through interaction with the vitamin D receptor.
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