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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Dec 15.
Published in final edited form as: Cell Cycle. 2008 Dec 13;7(24):3815–3818. doi: 10.4161/cc.7.24.7189

Figure 1. The Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Figure 1

Canonical Wnt signaling is initiated when Wnts bind to their cognate receptor complex of the transmembrane proteins Frizzled and Lrp. This interaction activates the cytoplasmic protein Dishevelled, which stabilizes β-catenin by inhibiting the kinase activity of the destruction complex of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), Axin, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β). Unphosphorylated β-catenin on its N-terminus translocates into the nucleus, where it interacts with the TCF/lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF) transcription factors to activate Wnt target genes. In the absence of Wnt, the destruction complex phosphorylates β-catenin, targeting it for degradation.