Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:B0FTZ7 (catenin)
 18,795 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The zonula adherens (ZA) is a cell-cell adherens junction that forms a belt in the apical most region of the lateral cell surface of many epithelia. It is composed of the cadherin-catenin complex and many associated proteins and is connected to a prominent belt of microfilaments. The ZA is believed to play an important role in the differentiation and behavior of epithelial tissues and thus contributes substantially to embryonic morphogenesis. In Drosophila embryos the ZA is formed during and shortly after gastrulation from adherens junction material that appears on the cell surface during cellularization. A ZA is present in a subset of epithelia in the Drosophila embryo called primary epithelia. A second specific marker for primary epithelia is the Crumbs protein, which in concert with the gene product of stardust is required to maintain epithelial polarity. This report shows that both genes are required for the reorganization of adherens junction material into the ZA. Using immunoelectron microscopy it is shown that Crumbs is not a component of the ZA but is distributed over the entire apical cell surface and concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the ZA. These results indicate a rather direct requirement of an apical activity for the organization of the lateral membrane domain in Drosophila primary epithelia. It is proposed that the marginal zone of the apical cell surface contains a crumbs- and stardust-dependent retention mechanism for adherens junction material that aids in the formation of the ZA.
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PMID:Crumbs, a component of the apical membrane, is required for zonula adherens formation in primary epithelia of Drosophila. 866 Aug 89

The scenario of multistep of stomach carcinogenesis differs depending on the two histological types, well differentiated adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, because the two types may have different genetic pathways. Genetic instability, reactivation of telomerase and abnormal transcript of CD44 including intron 9 are common events of both well and poorly differentiated type carcinomas. These occur at early stage of carcinogenesis, even in precancerous lesions such as intestinal metaplasia and adenoma. Inactivation of APC, activation of K-ras, amplification of c-erbB2, and allelic loss of DCC locus are associated with well differentiated type, while amplification of K-sam and functional loss of cadherin/catenin are characteristics of poorly differentiated type. HGF/c-met system plays a pivotal role in morphogenesis of both histological types through interaction with cell-cell adhesion molecules. Reactivation of telomerase or genetic instability may be an initial event for accumulation of multiple genetic alterations during the progression of stomach carcinogenesis.
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PMID:[Genetic alterations in stomach cancer]. 869 39

Cadherins are homotypic adhesion molecules that classically mediate interactions between cells of the same type in solid tissues. In addition, E-cadherin is able to support homotypic adhesion of epidermal Langerhans cells to keratinocytes (Tang, A., Amagai, M., Granger, L. G., Stanley, J. R. & Udey, M. C. (1993) Nature (London) 361, 82-85) and heterotypic adhesion of mucosal epithelial cells to E-cadherin-negative intestinal intraepithelial T lymphocytes. Thus, we hypothesized that cadherins may play a wider role in cell-to-cell adhesion events involving T lymphocytes. We searched for a cadherin or cadherins in T lymphocytes with a pan-cadherin antiserum and antisera against alpha- or beta-catenin, molecules known to associate with the cytoplasmic domain of cadherins. The anti-beta-catenin antisera coimmunoprecipitated a radiolabeled species in T-lymphocyte lines that had a molecular mass of 129 kDa and was specifically immunoblotted with the pan-cadherin antiserum. Also, the pan-cadherin antiserum directly immunoprecipitated a 129-kDa radiolabeled species from an 125I surface-labeled Jurkat human T-cell leukemic cell line. After V8 protease digestion, the peptide map of this pan-cadherin-immunoprecipitated, 129-kDa species exactly matched that of the 129-kDa species coimmunoprecipitated with the beta-catenin antiserum. These results demonstrate that T lymphocytes express a catenin-associated protein that appears to be a member of the cadherin superfamily and may contribute to T cell-mediated immune surveillance.
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PMID:Expression of a candidate cadherin in T lymphocytes. 869 57

Two cell-cell junctions, the adherens junction and the desmosome, are prominent in epithelial cells. These junctions are composed of transmembrane cadherins which interact with cytoplasmic proteins that serve to link the cadherin to the cytoskeleton. One component of both adherens junctions and desmosomes is plakoglobin. In the adherens junction plakoglobin interacts with both the classical cadherin and with alpha-catenin. Alpha-catenin in turn interacts with microfilaments. The role plakoglobin plays in the desmosome is not well understood. Plakoglobin interacts with the desmosomal cadherins, but how and if this mediates interactions with the intermediate filament cytoskeleton is not known. Here we compare the domains of plakoglobin that allow it to associate with the desmosomal cadherins with those involved in interactions with the classical cadherins. We show that three sites on plakoglobin are involved in associations with the desmosomal cadherins. A domain near the N terminus is unique to the desmosomal cadherins and overlaps with the site that interacts with alpha-catenin, suggesting that there may be competition between alpha-catenin and the desmosomal cadherins for interactions with plakoglobin. In addition, a central domain is shared with regions used by plakoglobin to associate with the classical cadherins. Finally, a domain near the C terminus is shown to strongly modulate the interactions with the desmosomal cadherins. This latter domain also contributes to the association of plakoglobin with the classical cadherins.
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PMID:Plakoglobin domains that define its association with the desmosomal cadherins and the classical cadherins: identification of unique and shared domains. 874 61

Desmosomes are intercellular adhesive junctions that associate with the intermediate filament cytoskeleton. The two major classes of transmembrane desmosomal glycoproteins, desmogleins and desmocollins, are widely considered to function as adhesion molecules. This assumption is based in part on their homology to the cadherin family of calcium-dependent homophilic adhesion molecules. In addition, autoantibodies from pemphigus patients bind directly to desmoglein family members and are thought to cause epidermal blistering by inhibiting the function of these cadherins. To directly test the ability of the desmosomal cadherins to mediate adhesion, desmoglein-1 (Dsg1), desmocollin-2 (Dsc2a) and plakoglobin were expressed in mouse L cell fibroblasts. Similar to catenin:classical cadherin complexes, plakoglobin:Dsc2a complexes exhibited an approximately 1:1 stoichiometry; however, plakoglobin:Dsg1 complexes exhibited a 6:1 stoichiometry. When L cells expressing the desmosomal cadherins were tested for the ability to aggregate in suspension, L cells expressing E-cadherin exhibited extensive aggregation, but L cells expressing Dsg1 or Dsc2a did not aggregate. In addition, L cells co-expressing Dsg1, Dsc2a, and plakoglobin failed to aggregate. The cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin is thought to play a central role in the adhesive function of E-cadherin by providing a link to the actin cytoskeleton. Therefore, two chimeric cadherins comprising the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin and the extracellular domain of either Dsg1 or Dsc2a were expressed in L cells. Both chimeras formed a complex with alpha- and beta-catenin. Nevertheless, neither of these chimeras supported aggregation of L cells when expressed individually or when co-expressed. These data suggest that the extracellular domains of the desmosomal cadherins exhibit functional properties distinct from those of the classical cadherins, such as E-cadherin.
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PMID:Analysis of desmosomal cadherin-adhesive function and stoichiometry of desmosomal cadherin-plakoglobin complexes. 875 59

Regulation of cell adhesion and cell signaling by beta-catenin occurs through a mechanism likely involving the targeted degradation of the protein. Deletional analysis was used to generate a beta-catenin refractory to rapid turnover and to examine its effects on complexes containing either cadherin or the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein. The results show that amino-terminal deletion of beta-catenin results in a protein with increased stability that acts in a dominant fashion with respect to wild-type beta-catenin. Constitutive expression in AtT20 cells of a beta-catenin lacking 89 N-terminal amino acids (deltaN89beta-catenin) resulted in severely reduced levels of the more labile wild-type beta-catenin. The mutant beta-catenin was expressed at endogenous levels but displaced the vast majority of wild-type beta-catenin associated with N-cadherin. The deltaN89beta-catenin accumulated on the APC protein to a level 10-fold over that of wild-type beta-catenin and recruited a kinase into the APC complex. The kinase was highly active toward APC in vitro and promoted a sodium dodecyl sulfate gel band shift that was also evident for endogenous APC from cells expressing the mutant beta-catenin. Unlike wild-type beta-catenin, which partitions solely as part of a high-molecular-weight complex, the deltaN89 mutant protein also fractionated as a stable monomer, indicating that it had escaped the requirement to associate with other proteins. That similar N-terminal mutants of beta-catenin have been implicated in cellular transformation suggests that their abnormal association with APC may, in part, be responsible for this phenotype.
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PMID:Deletion of an amino-terminal sequence beta-catenin in vivo and promotes hyperphosporylation of the adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor protein. 875 7

Endothelial cell (EC) junctions regulate circulating leukocyte extravasation and infiltration at inflammatory sites. Several lines of evidence show that platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), a specific component of EC junctions, is required for leukocyte transmigration through EC monolayers. In this paper, we examined the effects of two inflammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, on PECAM-1 and vascular endothelial-cadherin/catenin organization. We found that the addition of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha plus IFN-gamma in combination, for > or = 24 h) caused PECAM-1 to disappear from EC intercellular contacts. Confocal microscopy indicated that after treatment with the cytokines, PECAM-1 was rapidly internalized. In addition, a strong inhibition of PECAM-1 synthesis and a decrease in PECAM-1 mRNA were observed. This phenomenon was only found when TNF-alpha plus IFN-gamma were used in combination. Adhesion of polymorphonuclear cells to doubly treated EC was increased compared with control cells or cells incubated with TNF-alpha or IFN-gamma separately. This was correlated with an increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1. However, the disappearance of PECAM-1 from cell junctions after treatment with TNF-alpha plus IFN-gamma was accompanied by a marked reduction of leukocyte migration through EC monolayers. The correlation between PECAM-1 level and leukocyte transmigration was supported by transmigration inhibition assays using blocking anti-PECAM-1 mAb. These data indicate that PECAM-1 is a specific target of inflammatory cytokines and suggest that changes in its synthesis and organization might negatively modulate leukocyte recruitment.
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PMID:Inhibition of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 synthesis and leukocyte transmigration in endothelial cells by the combined action of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. 875 31

Endothelial cell proliferation is inhibited by the establishment of cell to cell contacts. Adhesive molecules at junctions could therefore play a role in transferring negative growth signals. The transmembrane protein VE-cadherin (vascular endothelial cadherin/cadherin-S) is selectively expressed at intercellular clefts in the endothelium. The intracellular domain interacts with cytoplasmic proteins called catenins that transmit the adhesion signal and contribute to the anchorage of the protein to the actin cytoskeleton. Transfection of VE-cadherin in both Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and L929 cells confers inhibition of cell growth. Truncation of VE-cadherin cytoplasmic region, responsible for linking catenins, does not affect VE-cadherin adhesive properties but abolishes its effect on cell growth. Seeding human umbilical vein endothelial cells or VE-cadherin transfectants on a recombinant VE-cadherin amino-terminal fragment inhibited their proliferation. These data show that VE-cadherin homotypic engagement at junctions participates in density dependent inhibition of cell growth. This effect requires both the extracellular adhesive domain and the intracellular catenin binding region of the molecule.
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PMID:Inhibition of cultured cell growth by vascular endothelial cadherin (cadherin-5/VE-cadherin). 877 Aug 58

In adherens junctions, alpha- and beta-catenin serve to link cadherins to the cortical cytoskeleton. Immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy have been applied to elucidate the nature and localization of cadherin/catenin-mediated cell-cell adhesion sites in adult muscle tissues. Antibodies against alpha- and beta-catenin have been used as indicators of such sites in amphibian and mammalian muscle. Intercalated discs are prominent cell-cell adhesion sites in heart muscle. They contain large amounts of the two catenins, the distributions of which are disclosed. In addition and in contrast to their counterparts in guinea pig, cardiomyocytes of Xenopus are also interconnected laterally by catenin-containing cell-cell junctions. These are doublet structures that approach the intercellular contacts of two adjacent cells from both sides and occur in register with the Z-discs. We interpret these structures as catenin/cadherin-based costameres. Ultrastructural details of these structures are described. In addition to its presence in cell-cell adhesion sites, we have found beta-catenin, but not alpha-catenin, in the Z-discs of heart and skeletal striated muscles. In smooth muscle, actin filaments insert into the dense bodies, which are therefore regarded as functional equivalents of the Z-discs. Accordingly, beta-catenin is also found in these structures, again in the absence of alpha-catenin. These non-peripheral intracellular localizations in the Z-discs of striated muscles and the dense bodies of smooth muscle indicate a hitherto unknown function of beta-catenin in these specialized cells.
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PMID:Fine structural immunocytochemistry of catenins in amphibian and mammalian muscle. 878 Dec 7

Mutations of the human adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC) gene are associated with the development of familial as well as sporadic intestinal neoplasia. To examine the in vivo function of APC, 129/Sv embryonic stem (ES) cells were transfected with DNA encoding the wild-type human protein under the control of a promoter that is active in all four of the small intestine's principal epithelial lineages during their migration-associated differentiation. ES-APC cells were then introduced into C57BL/6-ROSA26 blastocysts. Analyses of adult B6-ROSA26<-->129/Sv-APC chimeric mice revealed that forced expression of APC results in markedly disordered cell migration. When compared with the effects of forced expression of E-cadherin, the data suggest that APC-catenin and E-cadherin-catenin complexes have opposing effects on intestinal epithelial cell movement/adhesiveness; augmentation of E-cadherin-beta-catenin complexes produces a highly ordered, "adhesive" migration, whereas augmentation of APC-beta-catenin complexes produces a disordered, nonadhesive migratory phenotype. We propose that APC mutations may promote tumorigenesis by increasing the relative activity of cadherin-catenin complexes, resulting in enhanced adhesiveness and functional anchorage of initiated cells within the intestinal crypt. Our studies also indicate that chimeric mice generated from B6-ROSA26 blastocysts and genetically manipulated ES cells should be useful for auditing gene function in the gastrointestinal tract and in other tissues.
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PMID:Forced expression of the tumor suppressor adenomatosis polyposis coli protein induces disordered cell migration in the intestinal epithelium. 879 Mar 74


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