| First Author | Matsuura K | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Nat Commun | Volume | 2 |
| Pages | 548 | PubMed ID | 22109522 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:311847 | Mgi Id | MGI:6780437 |
| Doi | 10.1038/ncomms1551 | Citation | Matsuura K, et al. (2011) Identification of a link between Wnt/beta-catenin signalling and the cell fusion pathway. Nat Commun 2:548 |
| abstractText | Cell fusion has a critical role in various developmental processes, immune response, tissue homeostasis and regeneration, and possibly, in cancer. However, the signals that regulate cell fusion remain poorly understood. In a screen for novel targets of Wnt/beta-catenin signalling, we identified glial cells missing 1 (GCM1), which encodes a transcription factor that is involved in epigenetic regulation and is critical for the fusion of syncytiotrophoblast (ST) cells. Here we show that beta-catenin/BCL9-Like (BCL9L)/T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) signalling directly targets the GCM1/syncytin pathway and thereby regulates the fusion of human choriocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, we show that the GCM1/syncytin-B pathway is significantly downregulated in the placenta of BCL9L-deficient mice and that the fusion and differentiation of ST-II cells are blocked. Our results demonstrate a signal transduction pathway that regulates cell fusion, and may provide intriguing perspectives into the various biological and pathological processes that involve cell fusion. |
