Expression profiles of betaTRCP1 and betaTRCP2, and mutation analysis of betaTRCP2 in gastric cancer.

betaTRCP1 and betaTRCP2, components of the beta-catenin-ubiquitin ligase complex, are negative regulators of the WNT signaling pathway. We have previously isolated the betaTRCP2 gene, and detected betaTRCP2 in all gastric cancer cell lines examined. Here, expression profiles of betaTRCP1 and betaTRCP2 in various normal tissues and in primary gastric cancer were investigated. betaTRCP1 was predominant in small intestine, while betaTRCP2 was predominant in stomach. betaTRCP1 was expressed in gastric cancer cell lines MKN28, MKN45, MKN74, and KATO-III, but not in any cases of primary gastric cancer. betaTRCP2 was expressed in most cases of primary gastric cancer at almost the equal level in tumor and in non-cancerous portion of gastric mucosa. As betaTRCP2 was found to be the major betaTRCP expressed in gastric cancer, genetic alterations of betaTRCP2 in 7 gastric cancer cell lines and 12 cases of primary gastric cancer were investigated. A nucleotide substitution (Tright curved arrow C) at the nucleotide position 1486 of betaTRCP2 was identified in OKAJIMA cells, which lead to F462S amino acid substitution in the seventh WD-repeat domain. F462 was conserved among betaTRCPs derived from human, mouse, Xenopus laevis, and Drosophila melanogaster. As WD-repeats of betaTRCPs are the substrate-recognition motif of the beta-catenin-ubiquitin ligase, F462S amino-acid substitution might lead to beta-catenin stabilization, and might be implicated in carcinogenesis through activation of the WNT signaling pathway. This is the first report on comprehensive expression analyses of betaTRCP1 and betaTRCP2, and also on mutation analysis of betaTRCP2.