AlphaE-catenin controls cerebral cortical size by regulating the hedgehog signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT: During development, cells monitor and adjust their rates of accumulation to produce organs of predetermined size. We show here that central nervous system-specific deletion of the essential adherens junction gene, alphaE-catenin, causes abnormal activation of the hedgehog pathway, resulting in shortening of the cell cycle, decreased apoptosis, and cortical hyperplasia. We propose that alphaE-catenin connects cell-density-dependent adherens junctions with the developmental hedgehog pathway and that this connection may provide a negative feedback loop controlling the size of developing cerebral cortex.

SUBMITTER: Lien WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2556178 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature