Jade-1 inhibits Wnt signaling by ubiquitinating β-catenin and mediates Wnt pathway inhibition by pVHL

The von Hippel-Lindau protein pVHL suppresses renal tumorigenesis in part by promoting degradation of hypoxia-inducible HIF-alpha transcription factors1, and additional mechanisms have been proposed2. pVHL also stabilizes plant homeodomain (PHD) protein Jade-1, which is a candidate renal tumor suppressor that may correlate with renal cancer risk3-5. We show here that Jade-1 binds the oncoprotein β-catenin in Wnt-responsive fashion. Moreover, Jade-1 destabilizes wild-type β-catenin, but not a cancer-causing form of β-catenin. While β-TrCP ubiquitinates only phosphorylated β-catenin6, Jade-1 ubiquitinates both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated β-catenin and therefore regulates canonical Wnt signaling in both Wnt-off and Wnt-on phases. Thus, the different characteristics of β-TrCP and Jade-1 may ensure optimal Wnt pathway regulation. Furthermore, pVHL down-regulates β-catenin in a Jade-1-dependent manner and inhibits Wnt signaling, supporting a role for Jade-1 and Wnt signaling in renal tumorigenesis. The pVHL tumor suppressor and the Wnt tumorigenesis pathway are therefore directly linked through Jade-1.