Role of Axin1 scaffold protein in regulating the c-myc onocoprotein

This thesis investigates Axin1’s role in regulating the c-Myc oncoprotein in leukemia and examines the contribution of Axin1 Exon 7 to c-Myc binding and transcriptional control. Increased Axin1 levels reduced c-Myc in U937 leukemia cells, which predominantly express a less effective Axin1 isoform. Sequencing of 26 patient samples revealed rare Axin1 mutations. Functional studies show Exon 7 contains a conserved domain critical for c-Myc regulation but dispensable for β-Catenin activity. These findings expand understanding of Axin1’s tumor suppressor function and provide tools to dissect its pathway-specific roles in cancer.