Cross-talk between pRb/E2F and Wnt/β-catenin pathways: E2F1 induces axin2 leading to repression of Wnt signalling and to increased cell death

The pRb/E2F and Wnt/β-catenin pathways are two of the most frequently deregulated pathways in human cancers. In this study, we show that E2F1 up-regulates the expression of axin2. Further, we show that axin2 can repress Wnt signalling leading to reduced cell growth and increased cell death. This represents cross-talk between major pathways involved in the formation of tumours. We use our data to suggest a novel mechanism for tumour suppression.