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Home > Research Leaders > A to G > Mariann Bienz
mariann-bienz pnac

Mariann Bienz

Molecular mechanisms of Wnt signal transduction


Personal group site

Wnt signalling cascades control animal development and stem cell compartments in many tissues, and are amongst the most ancient and highly conserved signalling pathways within the animal kingdom. One key effector is beta-catenin, which is stabilised in response to Wnt stimulation; beta-catenin thus binds to TCF factors at Wnt-responsive enhancers to switch on the transcription of linked genes. Inappropriate activation of beta-catenin can cause cancer in many human tissues, most notably colorectal cancer.

We study the molecular functions of individual Wnt signalling components and their mutual interactions, using cell-biological, biochemical and structural approaches, as well as fly and mouse animal models. One focus is on the role of Dishevelled in assembling signalosomes by dynamic polymerization during Wnt signalling, to block the function of Axin degradasomes in destabilising beta-catenin.

Another focus is on the Wnt enhanceosome and the role of its core component Chip/LDB-SSDP in responding to Wnt signalling through Pygo-BCL9 and integrating this with other signalling inputs. Ultimately, our work is aimed at identifying and developing the potential of new Wnt signalling components as therapeutic targets in cancer.

Selected Papers

  • Bienz, M. (2020)
    Head-to-tail polymerization in the assembly of biomolecular condensates.
    Cell 182: 799-811.
  • van Dop, M., Fiedler, M., Mutte, S., de Keijzer, J., Olijslagers, L., Albrecht, C., Liao, C-Y., Janson, M., Bienz, M. and Weijers, D (2020)
    DIX domain polymerization drives assembly of plant cell polarity complexes
    Cell 180: 427-439
  • Mieszczanek J, van Tienen LM, Ibrahim AEK, Winton DJ and Bienz M (2019)
    Bcl9 and Pygo synergise downstream of Apc to effect intestinal neoplasia in FAP mouse models
    Nature Comm 10: 1038
  • Flack JE, Mieszczanek J, Novcic N and Bienz M (2017)
    Wnt-dependent inactivation of the Groucho/TLE co-repressor by the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase Hyd/UBR5
    Mol Cell 67: 181-193
  • van Tienen LM, Mieszczanek J, Fiedler M, Rutherford TJ & Bienz M (2017)
    Constitutive scaffolding of multiple Wnt enhanceosome components by Legless/BCL9
    eLife, e20882
  • Gammons M, Renko M, Johnson CM, Rutherford TJ & Bienz M (2016)
    Wnt signalosome assembly by DEP domain swapping of Dishevelled
    Mol Cell 64: 92-104
  • Fiedler, M., Graeb, M., Mieszczanek, J., Rutherford, T.J., Johnson, C.M. and Bienz, M. (2015)
    An ancient Pygo-dependent Wnt enhanceosome integrated by Chip/LDB-SSDP
    eLife, e09073

Group Members

  • Elsa Franco Echevarria
  • Melissa Gammons
  • Julius Mieszczanek

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Research Leaders

  • A to G
    • Matteo Allegretti
    • Radu Aricescu
    • David Barford
    • Buzz Baum
    • Anne Bertolotti
    • Tanmay Bharat
    • Mariann Bienz
    • Simon Bullock
    • Albert Cardona
    • Andrew Carter
    • Jason Chin
    • Gerry Crossan
    • Emmanuel Derivery
    • Michel Goedert
    • Julian Gough
    • Ingo Greger
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    • Michael Hastings
    • Ramanujan Hegde
    • Richard Henderson
    • Philipp Holliger
    • Leo James
    • Gregory Jefferis
    • Patrycja Kozik
    • Madeline Lancaster
    • Jan Löwe
    • Kate McDole
    • Andrew McKenzie
    • Harvey McMahon
    • Liz Miller
    • Sean Munro
    • Garib Murshudov
  • N to S
    • Kelly Nguyen
    • John O’Neill
    • Lori Passmore
    • Lalita Ramakrishnan
    • Venki Ramakrishnan
    • Felix Randow
    • Jing Ren
    • Christopher Russo
    • Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon
    • Julian Sale
    • William Schafer
    • Sjors Scheres
    • Marta Shahbazi
    • John Sutherland
  • T to Z
    • Chris Tate
    • Marco Tripodi
    • Ana Tufegdžić Vidaković
    • Roger Williams
    • Joseph Yeeles
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    • Marta Zlatic
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