The Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Controls the Inflammatory Response in Infections Caused by Pathogenic Bacteria

Figure 2

β-Catenin is an antagonist of the NF-κB pathway. In colon epithelial cells, Salmonella induces IL-8, TNFα, and Wnt expression via NF-κB activation. Moreover, the Salmonella typhimurium deubiquinating effector AvrA stabilizes IκBα and β-catenin. This step enhances β-catenin activity and at the same time inhibits NF-κB by stabilizing its inhibitor. The expression of Wnt in the first stage of infection stimulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The stabilized β-catenin then interacts with the NF-κB p50 subunit, decreasing its transcriptional activity. While NF-κB activity is inflammatory, its inhibition by β-catenin activation constitutes a mechanism to reduce inflammation.