ABSTRACT
AIM: The ?-catenin is a key molecule in the Wnt signal pathway, which plays a critical role in normal development and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of the ?-catenin on the cell growth control are still not completely defined. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the mutant ?-catenin may regulate the hepatocyte proliferation. METHODS: The immortalized murine hepatocyte cell line, AML12, was used for this study. A plasmid that contain mutant ?-catenin S33Y was transfected into the AML12 cells and a stable cell line AML12S33Y was established. The cell growth property of this cell line and the parental cell were compared by flow cytometry analysis and direct cell count. The cells were also tested for the ability to form soft agar colonies, and the ability to form tumors in the severe immune deficient mice (SCID). RESULTS: 1. The mutant ?-catenin containing cell line AML12S33Y has higher proliferating index compared with the parental AML12 cells ( P