▁especially ▁towards ▁mes od erm al ▁cell ▁line ages . ▁ ▁Ep ith el ial - to - mes en ch ym al ▁transition ▁▁ ▁B eta - c aten in ▁also ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁morph ogen ▁in ▁later ▁stages ▁of ▁emb ry onic ▁development . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁T G F - β , ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁of ▁ β - c aten in ▁is ▁to ▁indu ce ▁a ▁morph ogen ic ▁change ▁in ▁ep ith el ial ▁cells . ▁It ▁indu ces ▁them ▁to ▁abandon ▁their ▁tight ▁ad hes ion ▁and ▁assume ▁a ▁more ▁mobile ▁and ▁lo os ely ▁associated ▁mes en ch ym al ▁phen ot ype . ▁During ▁this ▁process , ▁ep ith el ial ▁cells ▁lose ▁expression ▁of ▁prote ins ▁like ▁E - c ad her in , ▁Z on ula ▁occ l ud ens ▁ 1 ▁( Z O 1 ), ▁and ▁cy to ker atin . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁they ▁turn ▁on ▁the ▁expression ▁of ▁v iment in , ▁alpha ▁smooth ▁mus cle ▁act in ▁( ACT A 2 ), ▁and ▁fib ro blast - specific ▁protein ▁ 1 ▁( F SP 1 ). ▁They ▁also ▁produce ▁ext rac ell ular ▁matrix ▁components , ▁such ▁as ▁type ▁I ▁col lagen ▁and ▁fib ron ect in . ▁Aber rant ▁activation ▁of ▁the ▁W nt ▁path way ▁has ▁been ▁imp licated ▁in ▁path ological ▁processes ▁such ▁as ▁fib ros is ▁and ▁cancer . ▁ ▁In ▁card iac ▁mus cle ▁development , ▁beta - c aten in ▁performs