Gene

Cell biology

Biology

Signal transduction

Multiprotein complex

Computer science

Genetics

Beta-catenin

Embryonic stem cell

Catenin

Cell fate determination

Transcription factor

Programming language

BETA (programming language)

Wnt signaling pathway

Developmental Cell

Wnt/β-Catenin signaling plays key roles in tissue homeostasis and cell fate decisions in embryonic and post-embryonic development across the animal kingdom. As a result, pathway mutations are associated with developmental disorders and many human cancers. The multiprotein destruction complex keeps signaling off in the absence of Wnt ligands and needs to be downregulated for pathway activation. We discuss new insights into destruction complex activity and regulation, highlighting parallels to the control of other cell biological processes by biomolecular condensates that form by phase separation to suggest that the destruction complex acts as a biomolecular condensate in Wnt pathway regulation.

Wnt/Beta-Catenin Signaling Regulation and a Role for Biomolecular Condensates