A genome-wide RNAi screen for Wnt/β-catenin pathway components identifies unexpected roles for TCF transcription factors in cancer

W Tang, M Dodge, D Gundapaneni… - Proceedings of the …, 2008 - National Acad Sciences
W Tang, M Dodge, D Gundapaneni, C Michnoff, M Roth, L Lum
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2008National Acad Sciences
The Wnt family of secreted proteins coordinate cell fate decision-making in a broad range of
developmental and homeostatic contexts. Corruption of Wnt signal transduction pathways
frequently results in degenerative diseases and cancer. We have used an iterative genome-
wide screening strategy that employs multiple nonredundant RNAi reagents to identify
mammalian genes that participate in Wnt/β-catenin pathway response. Among the genes
that were assigned high confidence scores are two members of the TCF/LEF family of DNA …
The Wnt family of secreted proteins coordinate cell fate decision-making in a broad range of developmental and homeostatic contexts. Corruption of Wnt signal transduction pathways frequently results in degenerative diseases and cancer. We have used an iterative genome-wide screening strategy that employs multiple nonredundant RNAi reagents to identify mammalian genes that participate in Wnt/β-catenin pathway response. Among the genes that were assigned high confidence scores are two members of the TCF/LEF family of DNA-binding proteins that control the transcriptional output of the pathway. Surprisingly, we found that the presumed cancer-promoting gene TCF7L2 functions instead as a transcriptional repressor that restricts colorectal cancer (CRC) cell growth. Mutations in TCF7L2 identified from cancer genome sequencing efforts abolish its ability to function as a transcriptional regulator and result in increased CRC cell growth. We describe a growth-promoting transcriptional program that is likely activated in CRC tumors with compromised TCF7L2 function. Taken together, the results from our screen and studies focused on members of the TCF/LEF gene family refine our understanding of how aberrant Wnt pathway activation sustains CRC growth.
National Acad Sciences