A Drosophila homolog of the tumor suppressor gene adenomatous polyposis coli down-regulates β-catenin but its zygotic expression is not essential for the regulation of Armadillo

摘要

Mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene (which encodes a protein called APC) are associated with the formation of intestinal polyps and colon cancers. To facilitate the functional study of APC we have isolated its Drosophila homolog (D-APC) by screening an expression library with an antibody against human APC. The isolated cDNA encodes a predicted 2416-amino acid protein containing significant homology to multiple domains of mammalian APCs.