Governing epidermal homeostasis by coupling cell-cell adhesion to integrin and growth factor signaling, proliferation, and apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: Cadherin/catenin-based adhesions coordinate cellular growth, survival, migration, and differentiation within a tissue by mechanically anchoring cells to their neighbors. They also intersect with diverse signaling pathways in development and cancer. Although the adhesive functions of adherens junction proteins are well characterized, their contribution to other signaling pathways is less well understood. Here, we show that ablation of α-catenin in the epidermis selectively induces apoptosis in suprabasal differentiating keratinocytes while sparing basal cell progenitors. This protection from death is coupled to elevated focal adhesion signaling, faster migration, and an altered distribution of growth factor receptors. We show that simultaneous depletion of α-catenin and focal adhesion kinas

SUBMITTER: Livshits G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3324018 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature