Importance of RAD6B in activation of canonical WNT signaling in melanoma development

We have demonstrated that RAD6B, a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme that is a principal component of translesion synthesis pathway, stabilizes and transcriptionally activates beta-catenin by lysine 63-linked polyubiquitination. RAD6B is also a beta-catenin transcriptional target, triggering a positive feedback loop. Canonical WNT signaling is critical for melanocyte lineage commitment and melanoma development, and RAD6B and beta-catenin are co-expressed in primary and metastatic melanomas. To understand how RAD6B influences melanoma development/progression, we performed RNA-seq of human metastatic M14 melanoma cells, their RAD6B knockout counterpart, and human HEMa-LP normal melanocytes. Overall design: 9 samples - Control M14 (3 samples each run in duplicates), RAD6BKOM14 (3 samples each in duplicates), HEMa-LP (3 samples)