The Fanconi anemia pathway has a dual function in Dickkopf-1 transcriptional repression

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Feb 11;111(6):2152-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1314226111. Epub 2014 Jan 27.

Abstract

Fanconi anemia (FA) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome associated with a progressive decline in hematopoietic stem cells, developmental defects, and predisposition to cancer. These various phenotypic features imply a role of FA proteins in molecular events regulating cellular homeostasis. Interestingly, we previously found that the Fanconi C protein (FANCC) interacts with the C-terminal-binding protein-1 (CtBP1) involved in transcriptional regulation. Here we report that FANCC with CtBP1 forms a complex with β-catenin, and that β-catenin activation through glycogen synthase kinase 3β inhibition leads to FANCC nuclear accumulation and FA pathway activation, as measured by the Fanconi D2 protein (FANCD2) monoubiquitination. β-catenin and FANCC nuclear entry is defective in FA mutant cells and in cells depleted of the Fanconi A protein or FANCD2, suggesting that integrity of the FA pathway is required for FANCC nuclear activity. We also report that FANCC with CtBP1 acts as a negative regulator of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) expression, and that a FA disease-causing mutation in FANCC abrogates this function. Our findings reveal that a defective FA pathway leads to up-regulation of DKK1, a molecule involved in hematopoietic malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Enzyme Activation
  • Fanconi Anemia / genetics
  • Fanconi Anemia / metabolism*
  • Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group C Protein / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics*
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • DKK1 protein, human
  • Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group C Protein
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3