Dual roles of AXIN1 as a β-catenin p-S60-dependent cytokinesis machinery and an ESCRT component

AXIN1 functions as a scaffolding protein in several signaling pathways, including TGF-β, SAPK/JNK, and Wnt; however, as there have been no reports on the function of AXIN1 in cytokinesis, we investigated this link to determine if this scaffold coordinates cell division. Here, we demonstrate that AXIN1 is located in the central dark zone of the intercellular bridge, known as the Flemming body, where it forms a midbody ring structure. We also demonstrated that AXIN1 functions in coordination with β-catenin p-S60-dependent cytokinetic machinery during early telophase. Furthermore, AXIN1 regulates the hierarchy of the ESCRT complex by positioning itself between MKLP1 and CEP55 in late telophase cells. Based on our findings, we propose that AXIN1 has dual functions in cytokinesis by facilitating ECT2 recruitment during early telophase and promoting recruitment of abscission components during late telophase, highlighting the transformative role of this signaling scaffold as structural machinery in coordinating cell division.