The beta-catenin interactome in a vascular smooth muscle cell model

Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signalling is an essential regulator of various cellular functions throughout development and adulthood. Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signalling also contributes to various pathologies including cancer, necessitating an understanding of cell context dependent mechanisms regulating this pathway. Since protein-protein interactions underpin β-catenin function and localization, we sought to identify novel β-catenin interacting partners by affinity purification coupled with tandem mass spectrometry in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), where β-catenin is involved in both physiological and pathological control of cell proliferation. Here, we report novel components of the VSMC β-catenin interactome.