Beta Catenin (β-catenin)

Beta-catenin(or β-catenin)  is a subunit of the cadherin protein complex. In Drosophila, the homologous protein is called armadillo. Beta-catenin has been implicated as an integral component in the Wnt signaling pathway.When beta-catenin was sequenced it was found to be a member of the armadillo family of proteins. These proteins have multiple copies of the so-called armadillo repeat domain which is specialized for protein-protein binding.

An increase in beta-catenin production has been noted in those people who have Basal Cell Carcinoma and leads to the increase in proliferation of related tumors. When beta-catenin is not associated with cadherins and alpha-catenin, it can interact with other proteins such as ICAT and APC.