Non-canonical [beta]-catenin degradation mediates reactive oxygen species-induced epidermal cell death

b-Catenin is constantly degraded through the ubiquitinproteasomal pathway. In this study, we report that a different type of b-catenin degradation is causally involved in epidermal cell death. We observed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused b-catenin degradation in the epidermal cells through a caspase-dependent mechanism, which results in disruption of cell adhesion. Disruption of cell adhesion increased ROS and activated caspases.Upregulation of the intact b-catenin blocked ROS accumulation and caspase activation. These results indicate that a feed-forward loop consisting of ROS, caspases activation and b-catenin degradation induces epidermal cell death. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]