Plakophilin-3 is required for late embryonic amphibian development, exhibiting roles in ectodermal and neural tissues.

ABSTRACT: The p120-catenin family has undergone a significant expansion during the evolution of vertebrates, resulting in varied functions that have yet to be discerned or fully characterized. Likewise, members of the plakophilins, a related catenin subfamily, are found throughout the cell with little known about their functions outside the desmosomal plaque. While the plakophilin-3 (Pkp3) knockout mouse resulted in skin defects, we find larger, including lethal effects following its depletion in Xenopus. Pkp3, unlike some other characterized catenins in amphibians, does not have significant maternal deposits of mRNA. However, during embryogenesis, two Pkp3 protein products whose temporal expression is partially complimentary become expressed. Only the smaller of these products is found in adult Xen

SUBMITTER: Munoz WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3320641 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature