Reevaluating αE-catenin monomer and homodimer functions by characterizing E-cadherin/αE-catenin chimeras.

ABSTRACT: As part of the E-cadherin-β-catenin-αE-catenin complex (CCC), mammalian αE-catenin binds F-actin weakly in the absence of force, whereas cytosolic αE-catenin forms a homodimer that interacts more strongly with F-actin. It has been concluded that cytosolic αE-catenin homodimer is not important for intercellular adhesion because E-cadherin/αE-catenin chimeras thought to mimic the CCC are sufficient to induce cell-cell adhesion. We show that, unlike αE-catenin in the CCC, these chimeras homodimerize, bind F-actin strongly, and inhibit the Arp2/3 complex, all of which are properties of the αE-catenin homodimer. To more accurately mimic the junctional CCC, we designed a constitutively monomeric chimera, and show that E-cadherin-dependent cell adhesion is weaker in cells expressing this chimera

SUBMITTER: Bianchini JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4586751 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature