Gene expression and pathway analysis of CTNNB1 in cancer and stem cells

Aim: To investigate β-catenin (CTNNB1) signaling in cancer and stem cells, the gene expression and pathway were analyzed using bioinformatics.

Methods: The expression of the catenin β 1 (CTNNB1) gene, which codes for β-catenin, was analyzed in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and gastric cancer (GC) cells. Beta-catenin signaling and the mutation of related proteins were also analyzed using the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics and HOMology modeling of Complex Structure (HOMCOS) databases.

Results: The expression of the CTNNB1 gene was up-regulated in GC cells compared to MSCs. The expression of EPH receptor A8 (EPHA8), synovial sarcoma translocation chromosome 18 (SS18), interactor of little elongation complex ELL subunit 1 (ICE1), patched 1 (PTCH1), mutS homolog 3 (MSH3) and caspase recruitment domain family member 11 (CARD11) were also shown to be altered in GC cells in the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics analysis. 3D complex structures were reported for E-cadherin 1 (CDH1), lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1), transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2) and adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC) with β-catenin.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene CTNNB1 plays an important role in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency and cancer signaling.