Identification of a brain-specific APC homologue, APCL, and its interaction with beta-catenin

We isolated a novel gene, APCL, that showed significant homology to the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene. This novel gene, located on chromosome 19p13.3, encodes a protein of 2303 amino acids that is expressed specifically in the brain. The predicted protein of APCL contains five copies of a 20-amino-acid motif (FXVEXTPXCFSRXSSLSSLS). Like APC, this domain of APCL was able to bind to beta-catenin and deplete the intracellular beta-catenin pool. A reporter-gene assay revealed that APCL could also regulate interaction of beta-catenin with T cell-specific transcription factor, although less actively than APC. These results suggest that the APCL protein may be involved in the Wnt/Wingless signal pathway, and the identification of a novel relative of APC may provide new insights into the function of APC.