Inside-out regulation of E-cadherin conformation and adhesion.

ABSTRACT: Cadherin cell-cell adhesion proteins play key roles in tissue morphogenesis and wound healing. Cadherin ectodomains bind in two conformations, X-dimers and strand-swap dimers, with different adhesive properties. However, the mechanisms by which cells regulate ectodomain conformation are unknown. Cadherin intracellular regions associate with several actin-binding proteins including vinculin, which are believed to tune cell-cell adhesion by remodeling the actin cytoskeleton. Here, we show at the single-molecule level, that vinculin association with the cadherin cytoplasmic region allosterically converts weak X-dimers into strong strand-swap dimers and that this process is mediated by myosin II-dependent changes in cytoskeletal tension. We also show that in epithelial cells, ∼70% of apical ca

SUBMITTER: Koirala R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8325368 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature