β-Catenin/TCF/LEF1 can directly regulate phenylephrine-induced cell hypertrophy and Anf transcription in cardiomyocytes

β-Catenin/TCF/LEF1 signaling is implicated in cardiac hypertrophy. We demonstrate that knockdown of β-catenin attenuates phenylephrine (PE)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the up-regulation of the fetal gene Anf. We explore the mechanism through which β-catenin regulates Anf expression and find a consensus binding sequence on the Anf promoter for TCF/LEF1 family members. LEF1 binds directly to the Anf promoter via this sequence, which shows functional significance, and PE stimulation enhances recruitment of β-catenin onto the Anf promoter. Thus, we document a direct positive role of β-catenin on PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and identify a new target gene for β-catenin/TCF/LEF1.