LI-cadherin cis-dimerizes in the plasma membrane Ca(2+) independently and forms highly dynamic trans-contacts.

ABSTRACT: LI-cadherin belongs to the family of 7D-cadherins that is characterized by a low sequence similarity to classical cadherins, seven extracellular cadherin repeats (ECs), and a short cytoplasmic domain. Nevertheless, LI-cadherins mediates Ca(2+)-dependent cell-cell adhesion and induces an epitheloid cellular phenotype in non-polarized CHO cells. Whereas several studies suggest that classical cadherins cis-dimerize in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner and interact in trans by strand-swapping tryptophan 2 of EC1, little is known about the molecular interactions of LI-cadherin, which lacks tryptophan 2. We thus expressed fluorescent LI-cadherin fusion proteins in HEK293 and CHO cells, analyzed their cell-cell adhesive properties and studied their cellular distribution, cis-interaction, and lateral diff

SUBMITTER: Bartolmas T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3478510 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature