Serine phosphorylation-regulated ubiquitination and degradation of beta-catenin

Several lines of evidence suggest that accumulation of cytoplasmic beta-catenin transduces an oncogenic signal. We show that beta-catenin is ubiquitinated and degraded by the proteosome and that beta-catenin stability is regulated by a diacylglycerol-independent protein kinase C-like kinase activity, which is required for beta-catenin ubiquitination. We also define a six-amino acid sequence found in both beta-catenin and the NF-kappaB regulatory protein IkappaBalpha, which, upon phosphorylation, targets both proteins for ubiquitination. Mutation of a single serine within the ubiquitination targeting sequence prevents ubiquitination of beta-catenin. Mutations within the ubiquitination targeting sequence of beta-catenin may be oncogenic.