Issues

β-catenin is a transmembrane protein that associates with junctional proteins and assists with the maintenance of cell attachment. As revealed through immunofluorescent staining, β-catenin (shown in green) localizes to the cell membranes and within the lateral junctional complex in normal appendix tissue. In contrast, tissue samples from patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei display primarily cytoplasmic staining of β-catenin and virtually no staining at the intercellular boundaries. However, antibiotic treatment of patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei results in a significant increase in β-catenin within the cell membranes, appearing to aid in the renormalization of β-catenin distribution. For details, see the article by Semino-Mora and colleagues on page 3966 of this issue.