Wnt signaling proteins associate with the nuclear pore complex: implications for cancer

Several components of the Wnt signaling pathway have in recent years been linked to the nuclear pore complex. β-catenin, the primary transducer of Wnt signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus, has been shown to transiently associate with different FG-repeat containing nucleoporins (Nups) and to translocate bidirectionally through pores of the nuclear envelope in a manner independent of classical transport receptors and the Ran GTPase. Two key regulators of β-catenin, IQGAP1 and APC, have also been reported to bind specific Nups or to locate at the nuclear pore complex. The interaction between these Wnt signaling proteins and different Nups may have functional implications beyond nuclear transport in cellular processes that include mitotic regulation, centrosome positioning and cell migration, nuclear envelope assembly/disassembly, and the DNA replication checkpoint. The broad implications of interactions between Wnt signaling proteins and Nups will be discussed in the context of cancer.