A truncated form of IKKα is responsible for specific nuclear IKK activity in colorectal cancer.

Nuclear IKKα regulates gene transcription by phosphorylating specific substrates and has been linked to cancer progression and metastasis. However, the mechanistic connection between tumorigenesis and IKKα activity remains poorly understood. We have now analyzed 288 human colorectal cancer samples and found a significant association between the presence of nuclear IKK and malignancy.

Jagged1 is the pathological link between Wnt and Notch pathways in colorectal cancer.

Notch has been linked to beta-catenin-dependent tumorigenesis; however, the mechanisms leading to Notch activation and the contribution of the Notch pathway to colorectal cancer is not yet understood. By microarray analysis, we have identified a group of genes downstream of Wnt/beta-catenin (down-regulated when blocking Wnt/beta-catenin) that are directly regulated by Notch (repressed by gamma-secretase inhibitors and up-regulated by active Notch1 in the absence of beta-catenin signaling). We demonstrate that Notch is downstream of Wnt in colorectal cancer cells through beta-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation of the Notch-ligand Jagged1.

Aberrant cytoplasmic localization of N-CoR in colorectal tumors.

We have previously shown that IKKs are aberrantly activated in colon cancer cells leading to SMRT phosphorylation and its release from the chromatin. We now show that IKKalpha phosphorylates the homologous N-CoR corepressor in serines 2345 and 2348 creating a functional 14-3-3 binding domain (RK(p)S(2348)KSP). Moreover, we have analyzed the subcellular localization of N-CoR in 43 colorectal cancer samples and we have found that aberrant cytoplasmic distribution of N-CoR is a general trait of these tumors.

Efficient nuclear export of p65-IkappaBalpha complexes requires 14-3-3 proteins.

IkappaB are responsible for maintaining p65 in the cytoplasm under non-stimulating conditions and promoting the active export of p65 from the nucleus following NFkappaB activation to terminate the signal. We now show that 14-3-3 proteins regulate the NFkappaB signaling pathway by physically interacting with p65 and IkappaBalpha proteins. We identify two functional 14-3-3 binding domains in the p65 protein involving residues 38-44 and 278-283, and map the interaction region of IkappaBalpha in residues 60-65.