Phosphorylation of TCF proteins by homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2

Our evolving view of Wnt signaling in C. elegans: If two's company and three's a crowd, is four really necessary?

In this commentary, we discuss how our recent paper by Yang et al. contributes a new wrinkle to the already somewhat curious Wnt signaling pathway in C. elegans. We begin with a historical perspective on the Wnt pathway in the worm, followed by a summary of the key salient point from Yang et al., 2011, namely demonstration of mutually inhibitory binding of a β-catenin SYS-1 to the N-terminus and another β-catenin WRM-1 to the C-terminus of the TCF protein POP-1, and a plausible structural explanation for these differential binding specificities. The mutually inhibitory binding creates one population of POP-1 that is bound by WRM-1, phosphorylated by the NLK kinase and exported from the nucleus, and another bound by coactivator SYS-1 that remains in the nucleus. We speculate on the evolutionary history of the four β-catenins in C. elegans and suggest a possible link between multiple β-catenin gene duplications and the requirement to reduce nuclear POP-1 levels to activate Wnt target genes.

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulates the expression of the miR-302 cluster in mouse ESCs and P19 cells

MicroRNAs of the miR-302 cluster are involved in early embryonic development and somatic cell reprogramming. Expression of the miR-302 gene is regulated by the binding of the pluripotency factors Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog to the miR-302 promoter. The specific expression pattern of the miR-302 gene suggested that additional transcription factors might be involved in its regulation. Here, we show that the miR-302 promoter is a direct target of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We found that the miR-302 promoter contains three different functional Tcf/Lef binding sites. Two of the three sites were located within the cluster of Oct4/Sox2/Nanog binding sites and were essential for Wnt/β-catenin-mediated regulation of the miR-302 gene. Tcf3, the only Tcf/Lef factor that bound to the miR-302 promoter, acted as a repressor of miR-302 transcription. Interestingly, mutations in the two Tcf/Lef binding sites and the Oct4/Nanog binding sites abolished miR-302 promoter responsiveness to Wnt signaling, suggesting that the Tcf/Lef and the Oct4/Nanog sites interact genetically.

The SxxSS motif of T-cell factor-4 isoforms modulates Wnt/β-catenin signal activation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

T-cell factor (TCF) proteins represent key transcription factors in Wnt signaling. We show that the SxxSS motif in TCF-4 regulates transcriptional activity in HCC cells. TCF-4K mutants increased transcriptional activity compared to TCF-4K (bearing the SxxSS); the binding pattern of co-factors in TCF-4K mutants was similar to that in TCF-4J (lacking the SxxSS). TCF activity in TCF-4K cells was suppressed by homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2), but not in TCF-4J cells. Together, our data indicates that the SxxSS motif in TCF-4K regulates transcriptional activity by modifying co-factors in the β-catenin/TCF-4 transcriptional complex and these events may be mediated through HIPK2.

Regulation of Tcf7l1 DNA binding and protein stability as principal mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Wnt/β-catenin signal transduction requires direct binding of β-catenin to Tcf/Lef proteins, an event that is classically associated with stimulating transcription by recruiting coactivators. This molecular cascade plays critical roles throughout embryonic development and normal postnatal life by affecting stem cell characteristics and tumor formation. Here, we show that this pathway utilizes a fundamentally different mechanism to regulate Tcf7l1 (formerly named Tcf3) activity. β-catenin inactivates Tcf7l1 without a switch to a coactivator complex by removing it from DNA, which leads to Tcf7l1 protein degradation. Mouse genetic experiments demonstrate that Tcf7l1 inactivation is the only required effect of the Tcf7l1-β-catenin interaction. Given the expression of Tcf7l1 in pluripotent embryonic and adult stem cells, as well as in poorly differentiated breast cancer, these findings provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of pluripotency and the role of Wnt/β-catenin in breast cancer.

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2-dependent repression of myogenic differentiation is relieved by its caspase-mediated cleavage

Differentiation of skeletal muscle cells is accompanied by drastic changes in gene expression programs that depend on activation and repression of genes at defined time points. Here we identify the serine/threonine kinase homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) as a corepressor that inhibits myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2)-dependent gene expression in undifferentiated myoblasts. Downregulation of HIPK2 expression by shRNAs results in elevated expression of muscle-specific genes, whereas overexpression of the kinase dampens transcription of these genes. HIPK2 is constitutively associated with a multi-protein complex containing histone deacetylase (HDAC)3 and HDAC4 that serves to silence MEF2C-dependent transcription in undifferentiated myoblasts. HIPK2 interferes with gene expression on phosphorylation and HDAC3-dependent deacetylation of MEF2C. Ongoing muscle differentiation is accompanied by elevated caspase activity, which results in caspase-mediated cleavage of HIPK2 following aspartic acids 916 and 977 and the generation of a C-terminally truncated HIPK2 protein. The short form of the kinase loses its affinity to the repressive multi-protein complex and its ability to bind HDAC3 and HDAC4, thus alleviating its repressive function for expression of muscle genes. This study identifies HIPK2 as a further protein that determines the threshold and kinetics of gene expression in proliferating myoblasts and during the initial steps of myogenesis.

Wnt signalling in mouse gastrulation and anterior development: new players in the pathway and signal output

Embryonic development and adult homeostasis are dependent upon the coordinated action of signal transduction pathways such as the Wnt signalling pathway which is used iteratively during these processes. In the early post-implantation mouse embryo, Wnt/β-catenin signalling activity plays a critical role in the formation of the primitive streak, progression of gastrulation and tissue patterning in the anterior-posterior axis. The net output of the signalling pathway is influenced by the delivery and post-translational modification of the ligands, the counteracting activities of the activating components and the negative modulators, and the molecular interaction of β-catenin, TCF and other factors regulating the transcription of downstream target genes.

Acetylation of human TCF4 (TCF7L2) proteins attenuates inhibition by the HBP1 repressor and induces a conformational change in the TCF4::DNA complex

The members of the TCF/LEF family of DNA-binding proteins are components of diverse gene regulatory networks. As nuclear effectors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling they act as assembly platforms for multimeric transcription complexes that either repress or activate gene expression. Previously, it was shown that several aspects of TCF/LEF protein function are regulated by post-translational modification. The association of TCF/LEF family members with acetyltransferases and deacetylases prompted us to investigate whether vertebrate TCF/LEF proteins are subject to acetylation. Through co-expression with p300 and CBP and subsequent analyses using mass spectrometry and immunodetection with anti-acetyl-lysine antibodies we show that TCF4 can be acetylated at lysine K₁₅₀ by CBP. K₁₅₀ acetylation is restricted to TCF4E splice variants and requires the simultaneous presence of β-catenin and the unique TCF4E C-terminus. To examine the functional consequences of K₁₅₀ acetylation we substituted K₁₅₀ with amino acids representing the non-acetylated and acetylated states. Reporter gene assays based on Wnt/β-catenin-responsive promoter regions did not indicate a general role of K₁₅₀ acetylation in transactivation by TCF4E. However, in the presence of CBP, non-acetylatable TCF4E with a K₁₅₀R substitution was more susceptible to inhibition by the HBP-1 repressor protein compared to wild-type TCF4E. Acetylation of K₁₅₀ using a bacterial expression system or amino acid substitutions at K₁₅₀ alter the electrophoretic properties of TCF4E::DNA complexes. This result suggests that K₁₅₀ acetylation leads to a conformational change that may also represent the mechanism whereby acetylated TCF4E acquires resistance against HBP1. In summary, TCF4 not only recruits acetyltransferases but is also a substrate for these enzymes. The fact that acetylation affects only a subset of TCF4 splice variants and is mediated preferentially by CBP suggests that the conditional acetylation of TCF4E is a novel regulatory mechanism that diversifies the transcriptional output of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in response to changing intracellular signaling milieus.

A genome-wide RNA interference screen identifies new regulators of androgen receptor function in prostate cancer cells

The androgen receptor (AR) is a mediator of both androgen-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancers. Identification of cellular factors affecting AR transcriptional activity could in principle yield new targets that reduce AR activity and combat prostate cancer, yet a comprehensive analysis of the genes required for AR-dependent transcriptional activity has not been determined. Using an unbiased genetic approach that takes advantage of the evolutionary conservation of AR signaling, we have conducted a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila cells for genes required for AR transcriptional activity and applied the results to human prostate cancer cells. We identified 45 AR-regulators, which include known pathway components and genes with functions not previously linked to AR regulation, such as HIPK2 (a protein kinase) and MED19 (a subunit of the Mediator complex). Depletion of HIPK2 and MED19 in human prostate cancer cells decreased AR target gene expression and, importantly, reduced the proliferation of androgen-dependent and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. We also systematically analyzed additional Mediator subunits and uncovered a small subset of Mediator subunits that interpret AR signaling and affect AR-dependent transcription and prostate cancer cell proliferation. Importantly, targeting of HIPK2 by an FDA-approved kinase inhibitor phenocopied the effect of depletion by RNAi and reduced the growth of AR-positive, but not AR-negative, treatment-resistant prostate cancer cells. Thus, our screen has yielded new AR regulators including drugable targets that reduce the proliferation of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells.

Wnt/β-catenin signalling: from plasma membrane to nucleus

Wnt/β-catenin signalling plays essential roles in embryonic development as well as tissue homoeostasis in adults. Thus abnormal regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling is linked to a variety of human diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease. Owing to the importance of Wnt signalling in a wide range of biological fields, a better understanding of its precise mechanisms could provide fundamental insights for therapeutic applications. Although many studies have investigated the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, our knowledge remains insufficient due to the complexity and diversity of Wnt signalling. It is generally accepted that the identification of novel regulators and their functions is a prerequisite to fully elucidating the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Recently, several novel modulators of Wnt signalling have been determined through multiple genetic and proteomic approaches. In the present review, we discuss the mechanistic regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling by focusing on the roles of these novel regulators.

The way Wnt works: components and mechanism

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway that is required for the proper development of all metazoans, from the basal demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica to humans. Misregulation of Wnt signaling is implicated in many human diseases, making this pathway an intense area of research in industry as well as academia. In this review, we explore our current understanding of the molecular steps involved in the transduction of a Wnt signal. We will focus on how the critical Wnt pathway component, β-catenin, is in a "futile cycle" of constant synthesis and degradation and how this cycle is disrupted upon pathway activation. We describe the role of the Wnt pathway in major human cancers and in the control of stem cell self-renewal in the developing organism and in adults. Finally, we describe well-accepted criteria that have been proposed as evidence for the involvement of a molecule in regulating the canonical Wnt pathway.

Wnt signaling in vertebrate axis specification

The Wnt pathway is a major embryonic signaling pathway that controls cell proliferation, cell fate, and body-axis determination in vertebrate embryos. Soon after egg fertilization, Wnt pathway components play a role in microtubule-dependent dorsoventral axis specification. Later in embryogenesis, another conserved function of the pathway is to specify the anteroposterior axis. The dual role of Wnt signaling in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos is regulated at different developmental stages by distinct sets of Wnt target genes. This review highlights recent progress in the discrimination of different signaling branches and the identification of specific pathway targets during vertebrate axial development.

TCF/LEFs and Wnt signaling in the nucleus

T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factors are the major end point mediators of Wnt/Wingless signaling throughout metazoans. TCF/LEFs are multifunctional proteins that use their sequence-specific DNA-binding and context-dependent interactions to specify which genes will be regulated by Wnts. Much of the work to define their actions has focused on their ability to repress target gene expression when Wnt signals are absent and to recruit β-catenin to target genes for activation when Wnts are present. Recent advances have highlighted how these on/off actions are regulated by Wnt signals and stabilized β-catenin. In contrast to invertebrates, which typically contain one TCF/LEF protein that can both activate and repress Wnt targets, gene duplication and isoform complexity of the family in vertebrates have led to specialization, in which individual TCF/LEF isoforms have distinct activities.

Nemo-like kinase, a multifaceted cell signaling regulator

Nemo-like kinase (NLK) is an evolutionarily conserved MAP kinase-related kinase. Although NLK was originally identified as a Drosophila gene affecting cell movement during eye development, recent studies show that NLK also contributes to cell proliferation, differentiation, and morphological changes during early embryogenesis and nervous system development in vertebrates. In addition, NLK has been reported to be involved in the development of several human cancers. NLK is able to play a role in multiple processes due to its capacity to regulate a diverse array of signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin, Activin, IL-6, and Notch signaling pathways. Although the molecular mechanisms that regulate NLK activity remain unclear, our recent research has presented a new model for NLK activation. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the function and regulation of NLK and discuss the aspects of NLK regulation that remain to be resolved.

Wnt pathway regulation of embryonic stem cell self-renewal

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can generate all of the cell types found in the adult organism. Remarkably, they retain this ability even after many cell divisions in vitro, as long as the culture conditions prevent differentiation of the cells. Wnt signaling and β-catenin have been shown to cause strong effects on ESCs both in terms of stimulating the expansion of stem cells and stimulating differentiation toward lineage committed cell types. The varied effects of Wnt signaling in ESCs, alongside the sometimes unconventional mechanisms underlying the effects, have generated a fair amount of controversy and intrigue regarding the role of Wnt signaling in pluripotent stem cells. Insights into the mechanisms of Wnt function in stem cells can be gained by examination of the causes for seemingly opposing effects of Wnt signaling on self-renewal versus differentiation.

On the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in stem cells

BACKGROUND

Stem cells are mainly characterized by two properties: self-renewal and the potency to differentiate into diverse cell types. These processes are regulated by different growth factors including members of the Wnt protein family. Wnt proteins are secreted glycoproteins that can activate different intracellular signaling pathways.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

Here we summarize our current knowledge on the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling with respect to these two main features of stem cells.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

A particular focus is given on the function of Wnt signaling in embryonic stem cells. Wnt signaling can also improve reprogramming of somatic cells towards iPS cells highlighting the importance of this pathway for self-renewal and pluripotency. As an example for the role of Wnt signaling in adult stem cell behavior, we furthermore focus on intestinal stem cells located in the crypts of the small intestine.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

A broad knowledge about stem cell properties and the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on these processes is a requirement for the use of these cells in regenerative medicine in the future or to understand cancer development in the adult. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biochemistry of Stem Cells.

Intrinsic properties of Tcf1 and Tcf4 splice variants determine cell-type-specific Wnt/β-catenin target gene expression

T-cell factor (Tcf)/lymphoid-enhancer factor (Lef) proteins are a structurally diverse family of deoxyribonucleic acid-binding proteins that have essential nuclear functions in Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Expression of Wnt/β-catenin target genes is highly dependent on context, but the precise role of Tcf/Lef family members in the generation and maintenance of cell-type-specific Wnt/β-catenin responses is unknown. Herein, we show that induction of a subset of Wnt/β-catenin targets in embryonic stem cells depends on Tcf1 and Tcf4, whereas other co-expressed Tcf/Lef family members cannot induce these targets. The Tcf1/Tcf4-dependent gene responses to Wnt are primarily if not exclusively mediated by C-clamp-containing Tcf1E and Tcf4E splice variants. A combined knockdown of Tcf1/Tcf4 abrogates Wnt-inducible transcription but does not affect the active chromatin conformation of their targets. Thus, the transcriptionally poised state of Wnt/β-catenin targets is maintained independent of Tcf/Lef proteins. Conversely, ectopically overexpressed Tcf1E cannot invade silent chromatin and fails to initiate expression of inactive Wnt/β-catenin targets even if repressive chromatin modifications are abolished. The observed non-redundant functions of Tcf1/Tcf4 isoforms in acute transcriptional activation demonstrated that the cell-type-specific complement of Tcf/Lef proteins is a critical determinant of context-dependent Wnt/β-catenin responses. Moreover, the apparent inability to cope with chromatin uncovers an intrinsic property of Tcf/Lef proteins that prevents false ectopic induction and ensures spatiotemporal stability of Wnt/β-catenin target gene expression.

The many faces and functions of β-catenin

β-Catenin (Armadillo in Drosophila) is a multitasking and evolutionary conserved molecule that in metazoans exerts a crucial role in a multitude of developmental and homeostatic processes. More specifically, β-catenin is an integral structural component of cadherin-based adherens junctions, and the key nuclear effector of canonical Wnt signalling in the nucleus. Imbalance in the structural and signalling properties of β-catenin often results in disease and deregulated growth connected to cancer and metastasis. Intense research into the life of β-catenin has revealed a complex picture. Here, we try to capture the state of the art: we try to summarize and make some sense of the processes that regulate β-catenin, as well as the plethora of β-catenin binding partners. One focus will be the interaction of β-catenin with different transcription factors and the potential implications of these interactions for direct cross-talk between β-catenin and non-Wnt signalling pathways.

Hipk proteins dually regulate Wnt/Wingless signal transduction

The Wnt/Wingless (Wg) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling system that is used reiteratively, both spatially and temporally, to control the development of multicellular animals. The stability of cytoplasmic β-catenin/Armadillo, the transcriptional effector of the pathway, is controlled by sequential N-terminal phosphorylation and ubiquitination that targets it for proteasome-mediated degradation. Orthologous members of the Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase family from Drosophila to vertebrates have been implicated in the regulation of Wnt/Wingless signaling. In Drosophila, as a consequence of Hipk activity, cells accumulate stabilized Armadillo that directs the expression of Wg-specific target genes. Hipk promotes the stabilization of Armadillo by inhibiting its ubiquitination (and hence subsequent degradation) by the SCF(Slimb) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Vertebrate Hipk2 impedes β-catenin ubiquitination to promote its stability and the Wnt signal in a mechanism that is functionally conserved. Moreover, we describe here that Hipk proteins have a role independent of their effect on β-catenin/Armadillo stability to enhance Wnt/Wingless signaling.

A systems approach identifies HIPK2 as a key regulator of kidney fibrosis

Kidney fibrosis is a common process that leads to the progression of various types of kidney disease. We used an integrated computational and experimental systems biology approach to identify protein kinases that regulate gene expression changes in the kidneys of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transgenic mice (Tg26 mice), which have both tubulointerstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis. We identified homeo-domain interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) as a key regulator of kidney fibrosis. HIPK2 was upregulated in the kidneys of Tg26 mice and in those of patients with various kidney diseases. HIV infection increased the protein concentrations of HIPK2 by promoting oxidative stress, which inhibited the seven in absentia homolog 1 (SIAH1)-mediated proteasomal degradation of HIPK2. HIPK2 induced apoptosis and the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers in kidney epithelial cells by activating the p53, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-SMAD family member 3 (Smad3) and Wnt-Notch pathways. Knockout of HIPK2 improved renal function and attenuated proteinuria and kidney fibrosis in Tg26 mice, as well as in other murine models of kidney fibrosis. We therefore conclude that HIPK2 is a potential target for anti-fibrosis therapy.

NLK positively regulates Wnt/β-catenin signalling by phosphorylating LEF1 in neural progenitor cells

Nemo-like kinase (NLK/Nlk) is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase involved in Wnt/β-catenin signalling. However, the roles of NLK in Wnt/β-catenin signalling in vertebrates remain unclear. Here, we show that inhibition of Nlk2 function in zebrafish results in decreased Lymphoid enhancer factor-1 (Lef1)-mediated gene expression and cell proliferation in the presumptive midbrain, resulting in a reduction of midbrain tectum size. These defects are related to phosphorylation of Lef1 by Nlk2. Thus, Nlk2 is essential for the phosphorylation and activation of Lef1 transcriptional activity in neural progenitor cells (NPCs). In NPC-like mammalian cells, NLK is also required for the phosphorylation and activation of LEF1 transcriptional activity. Phosphorylation of LEF1 induces its dissociation from histone deacetylase, thereby allowing transcription activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NLK functions downstream of Dishevelled (Dvl) in the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Our findings reveal a novel role of NLK in the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.

Neural crest specification by noncanonical Wnt signaling and PAR-1

Neural crest (NC) cells are multipotent progenitors that form at the neural plate border, undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migrate to diverse locations in vertebrate embryos to give rise to many cell types. Multiple signaling factors, including Wnt proteins, operate during early embryonic development to induce the NC cell fate. Whereas the requirement for the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in NC specification has been well established, a similar role for Wnt proteins that do not stabilize β-catenin has remained unclear. Our gain- and loss-of-function experiments implicate Wnt11-like proteins in NC specification in Xenopus embryos. In support of this conclusion, modulation of β-catenin-independent signaling through Dishevelled and Ror2 causes predictable changes in premigratory NC. Morpholino-mediated depletion experiments suggest that Wnt11R, a Wnt protein that is expressed in neuroectoderm adjacent to the NC territory, is required for NC formation. Wnt11-like signals might specify NC by altering the localization and activity of the serine/threonine polarity kinase PAR-1 (also known as microtubule-associated regulatory kinase or MARK), which itself plays an essential role in NC formation. Consistent with this model, PAR-1 RNA rescues NC markers in embryos in which noncanonical Wnt signaling has been blocked. These experiments identify novel roles for Wnt11R and PAR-1 in NC specification and reveal an unexpected connection between morphogenesis and cell fate.

How do they do Wnt they do?: regulation of transcription by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Wnt/β-catenin signalling is known to play many roles in metazoan development and tissue homeostasis. Misregulation of the pathway has also been linked to many human diseases. In this review, specific aspects of the pathway's involvement in these processes are discussed, with an emphasis on how Wnt/β-catenin signalling regulates gene expression in a cell and temporally specific manner. The T-cell factor (TCF) family of transcription factors, which mediate a large portion of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, will be discussed in detail. Invertebrates contain a single TCF gene that contains two DNA-binding domains, the high mobility group (HMG) domain and the C-clamp, which increases the specificity of DNA binding. In vertebrates, the situation is more complex, with four TCF genes producing many isoforms that contain the HMG domain, but only some of which possess a C-clamp. Vertebrate TCFs have been reported to act in concert with many other transcription factors, which may explain how they obtain sufficient specificity for specific DNA sequences, as well as how they achieve a wide diversity of transcriptional outputs in different cells.

TCFs and Wnt/β-catenin signaling: more than one way to throw the switch

Wnts are conserved, secreted signaling proteins that can influence cell behavior by stabilizing β-catenin. Accumulated β-catenin enters the nucleus, where it physically associates with T-cell factor (TCF) family members to regulate target gene expression in many developmental and adult tissues. Recruitment of β-catenin to Wnt response element (WRE) chromatin converts TCFs from transcriptional repressors to activators. This review will outline the complex interplay between factors contributing to TCF repression and coactivators working with β-catenin to regulate Wnt targets. In addition, three variations of the standard transcriptional switch model will be discussed. One is the Wnt/β-catenin symmetry pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans, where Wnt-mediated nuclear efflux of TCF is crucial for activation of targets. Another occurs in vertebrates, where distinct TCF family members are associated with repression and activation, and recent evidence suggests that Wnt signaling facilitates a "TCF exchange" on WRE chromatin. Finally, a "reverse switch" mechanism for target genes that are directly repressed by Wnt/β-catenin signaling occurs in Drosophila cells. The diversity of TCF regulatory mechanisms may help to explain how a small group of transcription factors can function in so many different contexts to regulate target gene expression.

WNTing embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) - undifferentiated cells originating from preimplantation stage embryos - have prolonged self-renewal capacity and are pluripotent. Activation of the canonical Wnt pathway is implicated in maintenance of and exit from the pluripotent state. Recent findings demonstrate that the essential mediator of canonical Wnt signaling, β-catenin, is dispensable for ESC maintenance; however, its activation inhibits differentiation through derepression of T cell factor 3 (Tcf3)-bound genes. Wnt agonists are useful in deriving ESCs from recalcitrant mouse strains and the rat and in nuclear reprogramming of somatic stem cells. We discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role of canonical Wnt signaling in the regulation of ESC self-renewal and how its manipulation can improve pluripotent ESC derivation and maintenance.

Survival of pancreatic beta cells is partly controlled by a TCF7L2-p53-p53INP1-dependent pathway

The transcription factor T-cell factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) confers type 2 diabetes risk mainly through impaired insulin secretion, perturbed incretin effect and reduced beta-cell survival. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular mechanism through which TCF7L2 influences beta-cell survival. TCF7L2 target genes in INS-1 cells were identified using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation. Validation of targets was obtained by: siRNA silencing, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, luciferase reporter assays and western blot. Apoptosis rate was measured by DNA degradation and caspase-3 content. Islet viability was estimated by measuring metabolic rate. TCF7L2 binds to 3646 gene promoters in INS-1 cells in high or low glucose, including Tp53, Pten, Uggt1, Adamts9 and Fto. SiRNA-mediated reduction in TCF7L2 activity resulted in increased apoptosis and increased expression of Tp53, which resulted in elevated p53 protein activity and an increased expression of the p53 target gene Tp53inp1 (encoding p53-induced-nuclear-protein 1). Reversing the increase in p53INP1 protein expression, seen after Tcf7l2 silencing, protected INS-1 cells from Tcf7l2 depletion-induced apoptosis. This result was replicated in primary rat islets. The risk T-allele of rs7903146 is associated with increased TCF7L2 mRNA expression and transcriptional activity. On the other hand, in vitro silencing of TCF7L2 lead to increased apoptosis. One possibility is that the risk T-allele increases expression of an inhibitory TCF7L2 isoform with lower transcriptional activity. These results identify the p53-p53INP1 pathway as a molecular mechanism through which TCF7L2 may affect beta-cell survival and established a molecular link between Tcf7l2 and two type 2 diabetes-associated genes, Tp53inp1 and Adamts9.

A WNTer revisit: new faces of β-catenin and TCFs in pluripotency

New evidence has revealed interesting aspects of how the Wnt-β-catenin pathway controls self-renewal and lineage differentiation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Although Wnt-β-catenin signaling is dispensable for the self-renewal of naive mouse embryonic stem cells, it facilitates their expansion and resistance to differentiation through an unconventional dual mechanism involving the transcriptional repressor T cell factor (TCF) 3 and the transcriptional activator TCF1.

Maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency with Wnt signaling

Wnt signaling pathways control lineage specification in vertebrate embryos and regulate pluripotency in embryonic stem (ES) cells, but how the balance between progenitor self-renewal and differentiation is achieved during axis specification and tissue patterning remains highly controversial. The context- and stage-specific effects of the different Wnt pathways produce complex and sometimes opposite outcomes that help to generate embryonic cell diversity. Although the results of recent studies of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in ES cells appear to be surprising and controversial, they converge on the same conserved mechanism that leads to the inactivation of TCF3-mediated repression.

Distinct and mutually inhibitory binding by two divergent β-catenins coordinates TCF levels and activity in C. elegans

Wnt target gene activation in C. elegans requires simultaneous elevation of β-catenin/SYS-1 and reduction of TCF/POP-1 nuclear levels within the same signal-responsive cell. SYS-1 binds to the conserved N-terminal β-catenin-binding domain (CBD) of POP-1 and functions as a transcriptional co-activator. Phosphorylation of POP-1 by LIT-1, the C. elegans Nemo-like kinase homolog, promotes POP-1 nuclear export and is the main mechanism by which POP-1 nuclear levels are lowered. We present a mechanism whereby SYS-1 and POP-1 nuclear levels are regulated in opposite directions, despite the fact that the two proteins physically interact. We show that the C terminus of POP-1 is essential for LIT-1 phosphorylation and is specifically bound by the diverged β-catenin WRM-1. WRM-1 does not bind to the CBD of POP-1, nor does SYS-1 bind to the C-terminal domain. Furthermore, binding of WRM-1 to the POP-1 C terminus is mutually inhibitory with SYS-1 binding at the CBD. Computer modeling provides a structural explanation for the specificity in WRM-1 and SYS-1 binding to POP-1. Finally, WRM-1 exhibits two independent and distinct molecular functions that are novel for β-catenins: WRM-1 serves both as the substrate-binding subunit and an obligate regulatory subunit for the LIT-1 kinase. Mutual inhibitory binding would result in two populations of POP-1: one bound by WRM-1 that is LIT-1 phosphorylated and exported from the nucleus, and another, bound by SYS-1, that remains in the nucleus and transcriptionally activates Wnt target genes. These studies could provide novel insights into cancers arising from aberrant Wnt activation.

T-cell factor 3 (Tcf3) deletion increases somatic cell reprogramming by inducing epigenome modifications

The heterochromatin barrier must be overcome to generate induced pluripotent stem cells and cell fusion-mediated reprogrammed hybrids. Here, we show that the absence of T-cell factor 3 (Tcf3), a repressor of β-catenin target genes, strikingly and rapidly enhances the efficiency of neural precursor cell (NPC) reprogramming. Remarkably, Tcf3(-/-) ES cells showed a genome-wide increase in AcH3 and decrease in H3K9me3 and can reprogram NPCs after fusion greatly. In addition, during reprogramming of NPCs into induced pluripotent stem cells, the silencing of Tcf3 increased AcH3 and decreased the number of H3K9me3-positive heterochromatin foci early and long before reactivation of the endogenous stem cell genes. In conclusion, our data suggest that Tcf3 functions as a repressor of the reprogramming potential of somatic cells.

Wnt signaling through T-cell factor phosphorylation

Embryonic signaling pathways often lead to a switch from default repression to transcriptional activation of target genes. A major consequence of Wnt signaling is stabilization of β-catenin, which associates with T-cell factors (TCFs) and 'converts' them from repressors into transcriptional activators. The molecular mechanisms responsible for this conversion remain poorly understood. Several studies have reported on the regulation of TCF by phosphorylation, yet its physiological significance has been unclear: in some cases it appears to promote target gene activation, in others Wnt-dependent transcription is inhibited. This review focuses on recent progress in the understanding of context-dependent post-translational regulation of TCF function by Wnt signaling.

Wnt signaling signaling at and above the receptor level

Wnt signaling is one of the most important developmental signaling pathways that controls cell fate decisions and tissue patterning during early embryonic and later development. It is activated by highly conserved Wnt proteins that are secreted as palmitoylated glycoproteins and act as morphogens to form a concentration gradient across a developing tissue. Wnt proteins regulate transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes depending on the distance of their origin and activate distinct intracellular cascades, commonly referred to as canonical (β-catenin-dependent) and noncanonical (β-catenin-independent) pathways. Therefore, the secretion and the diffusion of Wnt proteins needs to be tightly regulated to induce short- and long-range downstream signaling. Even though the Wnt signaling cascade has been studied intensively, key aspects and principle mechanisms, such as transport of Wnt growth factors or regulation of signaling specificity between different Wnt pathways, remain unresolved. Here, we introduce basic principles of Wnt/Wg signal transduction and highlight recent discoveries, such as the involvement of vacuolar ATPases and vesicular acidification in Wnt signaling. We also discuss recent findings regarding posttranslational modifications of Wnts, trafficking through the secretory pathway and developmental consequences of impaired Wnt secretion. Understanding the detailed mechanism and regulation of Wnt protein secretion will provide valuable insights into many human diseases based on overactivated Wnt signaling.