The 15-Amino Acid Repeat Region of Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Is Intrinsically Disordered and Retains Conformational Flexibility upon Binding β-Catenin

Biochemistry. 2020 Oct 20;59(41):4039-4050. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00479. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Abstract

The tumor suppressor Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a large, multidomain protein with many identified cellular functions. The best characterized role of APC is to scaffold a protein complex that negatively regulates Wnt signaling via β-catenin destruction. This destruction is mediated by β-catenin binding to centrally located 15- and 20-amino acid repeat regions of APC. More than 80% of cancers of the colon and rectum present with an APC mutation. Most carcinomas with mutant APC express a truncated APC protein that retains the ∼200-amino acid long' 15-amino acid repeat region'. This study demonstrates that the 15-amino acid repeat region of APC is intrinsically disordered. We investigated the backbone dynamics in the presence of β-catenin and predicted residues that may contribute to transient secondary features. This study reveals that the 15-amino acid region of APC retains flexibility upon binding β-catenin and that APC does not have a single, observable "highest-affinity" binding site for β-catenin. This flexibility potentially allows β-catenin to be more readily captured by APC and then remain accessible to other elements of the destruction complex for subsequent processing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / genetics
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / metabolism
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / chemistry*
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / genetics
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein / metabolism*
  • Binding Sites
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • beta Catenin / chemistry
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein
  • beta Catenin