"Trypanosoma cruzi infection induces early β-catenin activation in macrophages. Bone marrow-derived macrophages were in vitro infected with trypomastigotes of T. cruzi or left uninfected (NI) and then evaluated for β-catenin activation. (A) mRNA and protein expression levels of β-catenin by q-PCR and Western blot at different times post-infection (pi). β-Catenin mRNA relative to β-actin is shown. A representative Western blot and the ratio of β-catenin to β-actin are shown. The results are expressed as the average of three independent experiments ± SEM. Abbreviation: AU, arbitrary units. (B) Expression and localization of β-catenin by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. (C) mRNA relative expression of β-catenin target genes Axin1, Wisp1, and Ccnd1 by q-PCR. mRNA expression levels normalized over the expression of β-actin are expressed as the average of three independent experiments ± SEM. (D) Peritoneal macrophages were obtained from uninfected or infected mice at 24 h pi, and the levels of expression and localization of β-catenin were evaluated by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. In panels (B,D) , a representative field for each group is shown [ (B,D) ."" Green, β-catenin; red, DAPI (* P"