101
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Lee B, Villarreal-Ponce A, Fallahi M, Ovadia J, Sun P, Yu QC, Ito S, Sinha S, Nie Q, Dai X. Transcriptional mechanisms link epithelial plasticity to adhesion and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells. Dev Cell 2014; 29:47-58. [PMID: 24735878 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During epithelial tissue morphogenesis, developmental progenitor cells undergo dynamic adhesive and cytoskeletal remodeling to trigger proliferation and migration. Transcriptional mechanisms that restrict such a mild form of epithelial plasticity to maintain lineage-restricted differentiation in committed epithelial tissues are poorly understood. Here, we report that simultaneous ablation of transcriptional repressor-encoding Ovol1 and Ovol2 results in expansion and blocked terminal differentiation of embryonic epidermal progenitor cells. Conversely, mice overexpressing Ovol2 in their skin epithelia exhibit precocious differentiation accompanied by smaller progenitor cell compartments. We show that Ovol1/Ovol2-deficient epidermal cells fail to undertake α-catenin-driven actin cytoskeletal reorganization and adhesive maturation and exhibit changes that resemble epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Remarkably, these alterations and defective terminal differentiation are reversed upon depletion of EMT-promoting transcriptional factor Zeb1. Collectively, our findings reveal Ovol-Zeb1-α-catenin sequential repression and highlight Ovol1 and Ovol2 as gatekeepers of epithelial adhesion and differentiation by inhibiting progenitor-like traits and epithelial plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lee
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Alvaro Villarreal-Ponce
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Magid Fallahi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Jeremy Ovadia
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Qian-Chun Yu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Seiji Ito
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Kansai Medical University, Moriguchi 570-8506, Japan
| | - Satrajit Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA
| | - Xing Dai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine CA 92697, USA.
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102
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Pieters T, van Roy F. Role of cell–cell adhesion complexes in embryonic stem cell biology. J Cell Sci 2014; 127:2603-13. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.146720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can self-renew or differentiate into any cell type within an organism. Here, we focus on the roles of cadherins and catenins – their cytoplasmic scaffold proteins – in the fate, maintenance and differentiation of mammalian ESCs. E-cadherin is a master stem cell regulator that is required for both mouse ESC (mESC) maintenance and differentiation. E-cadherin interacts with key components of the naive stemness pathway and ablating it prevents stem cells from forming well-differentiated teratomas or contributing to chimeric animals. In addition, depleting E-cadherin converts naive mouse ESCs into primed epiblast-like stem cells (EpiSCs). In line with this, a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) occurs during reprogramming of somatic cells towards induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), leading to downregulation of N-cadherin and acquisition of high E-cadherin levels. β-catenin exerts a dual function; it acts in cadherin-based adhesion and in WNT signaling and, although WNT signaling is important for stemness, the adhesive function of β-catenin might be crucial for maintaining the naive state of stem cells. In addition, evidence is rising that other junctional proteins are also important in ESC biology. Thus, precisely regulated levels and activities of several junctional proteins, in particular E-cadherin, safeguard naive pluripotency and are a prerequisite for complete somatic cell reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Pieters
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Unit, Inflammation Research Center, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frans van Roy
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Molecular Cell Biology Unit, Inflammation Research Center, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
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103
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Nichols LA, Grunz-Borgmann EA, Wang X, Parrish AR. A role for the age-dependent loss of α(E)-catenin in regulation of N-cadherin expression and cell migration. Physiol Rep 2014; 2:2/6/e12039. [PMID: 24920123 PMCID: PMC4208646 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging kidney has a decreased ability to repair following acute kidney injury. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated a loss in α‐catenin expression in the aging rat kidney. We hypothesize that loss of α‐catenin expression in tubular epithelial cells may induce changes that result in a decreased repair capacity. In these studies, we demonstrate that decreased α‐catenin protein expression is detectable as early as 20 months of age in male Fischer 344 rats. Protein loss is also observed in aged nonhuman primate kidneys, suggesting that this is not a species‐specific response. In an effort to elucidate alterations due to the loss of α‐catenin, we generated NRK‐52E cell lines with stable knockdown of α(E)‐catenin (C2 cells). Interestingly, C2 cells had decreased expression of N‐cadherin, decreased cell–cell adhesion, and increased monolayer permeability. C2 had deficits in wound repair, due to alterations in cell migration. Analysis of gene expression in the migrating control cells indicated that expression of N‐cadherin and N‐CAM was increased during repair. In migrating C2 cells, expression of N‐CAM was also increased, but the expression of N‐cadherin was not upregulated. Importantly, a blocking antibody against N‐cadherin inhibited repair in NRK‐52E cells, suggesting an important role in repair. Taken together, these data suggest that loss of α‐catenin, and the subsequent downregulation of N‐cadherin expression, is a mechanism underlying the decreased migration of tubular epithelial cells that contributes to the inability of the aging kidney to repair following injury. Aging is associated with loss of α‐catenin and N‐cadherin expression in the kidney. In these studies, we demonstrate that α‐catenin regulates, in part, N‐cadherin expression and migration in tubular epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaNita A Nichols
- Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | | | - Xinhui Wang
- Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Alan R Parrish
- Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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104
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Xie C, Jiang G, Fan C, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Miao Y, Lin X, Wu J, Wang L, Liu Y, Yu J, Yang L, Zhang D, Xu K, Wang E. ARMC8α promotes proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells by activating the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Tumour Biol 2014; 35:8903-11. [PMID: 24894675 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-014-2162-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
ARMC8 proteins are novel armadillo repeat containing proteins, which are well conserved in eukaryotes and are involved in a variety of processes such as cell migration, proliferation, tissue maintenance, signal transduction, and tumorigenesis. Armadillo repeat proteins include well-known proteins such as β-catenin and p120ctn. Our current knowledge of ARMC8, especially its role in cancer, is limited. In this study, we quantified ARMC8 expression in 112 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and seven lung cancer cell lines using immunohistochemistry staining and Western blotting. ARMC8 level was significantly higher in NSCLC tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues (67.9 % versus 5.4 %, p < 0.05) and was significantly associated with TNM stage (p = 0.022), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.001), and poor prognosis (p < 0.001) in NSCLC patients. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that ARMC8 was an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC. Consistent with this, ARMC8α downregulation by siRNA knockdown inhibited growth, colony formation, and invasion in A549 lung cancer cells, while ARMC8α overexpression promoted growth, colony formation, and invasion in H1299 lung cancer cells. In addition, ARMC8α knockdown downregulated canonical Wnt-signaling pathway activity and cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7 expression. Consistent with this, ARMC8α overexpression upregulated canonical Wnt-signaling pathway activity and cyclin D1 and MMP-7 expression. These results indicate that ARMC8α upregulates cyclin D1 and MMP7 expression by activating the canonical Wnt-signaling pathway and thereby promoting lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Therefore, ARMC8 might serve as a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyao Xie
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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105
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Lu M, Marsters S, Ye X, Luis E, Gonzalez L, Ashkenazi A. E-cadherin couples death receptors to the cytoskeleton to regulate apoptosis. Mol Cell 2014; 54:987-998. [PMID: 24882208 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Revised: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process essential to the development and maintenance of solid tissues. In cancer, EMT suppresses apoptosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. EMT selectively attenuated apoptosis signaling via the death receptors DR4 and DR5. Loss of the epithelial cell adhesion protein E-cadherin recapitulated this outcome, whereas homotypic E-cadherin engagement promoted apoptotic signaling via DR4/DR5, but not Fas. Depletion of α-catenin, which couples E-cadherin to the actin cytoskeleton, or actin polymerization inhibitors similarly attenuated DR4/DR5-induced apoptosis. E-cadherin bound specifically to ligated DR4/DR5, requiring extracellular cadherin domain 1 and calcium. E-cadherin augmented DR4/DR5 clustering and assembly of the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), increasing caspase-8 activation in high molecular weight cell fractions. Conversely, EMT attenuated DR4/DR5-mediated DISC formation and caspase-8 stimulation. Consistent with these findings, epithelial cancer cell lines expressing higher E-cadherin levels displayed greater sensitivity to DR4/DR5-mediated apoptosis. These results have potential implications for tissue homeostasis as well as cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Lu
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Scot Marsters
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Xiaofen Ye
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Elizabeth Luis
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Lino Gonzalez
- Protein Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Avi Ashkenazi
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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106
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Nichols LA, Slusarz A, Grunz-Borgmann EA, Parrish AR. α(E)-catenin regulates BMP-7 expression and migration in renal epithelial cells. Am J Nephrol 2014; 39:409-17. [PMID: 24818804 DOI: 10.1159/000362250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aging kidney has a decreased ability to repair following injury. We have shown a loss in expression of α-catenin in the aging rat kidney and hypothesize that decreased α-catenin expression in tubular epithelial cells results in diminished repair capacity. METHODS In an effort to elucidate alterations due to the loss of α-catenin, we generated NRK-52E cell lines with stable knockdown of α(E)-catenin. RESULTS α(E)-catenin knockdown resulted in decreased wound repair due to alterations in cell migration. Analysis of gene expression in the α(E)-catenin knockdown cells demonstrated almost a complete loss of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) expression that was associated with decreased phospho-Smad1/5/8 staining. However, addition of exogenous BMP-7 increased phospho-Smad1/5/8, suggesting that the BMP-7 pathway remained intact in C2 cells. Given the potential role of BMP-7 in repair, we investigated its role in wound repair. Inhibition of BMP-7 decreased repair in non-targeted control cells; conversely, exogenous BMP-7 restored repair in α(E)-catenin knockdown cells to control levels. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the data suggests that the loss of α(E)-catenin expression and subsequent downregulation of BMP-7 is a mechanism underlying the altered migration of tubular epithelial cells that contributes to the inability of the aging kidney to repair following injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- LaNita A Nichols
- Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., USA
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107
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108
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Abstract
Differential adhesion provides a mechanical force to drive cells into stable configurations during the assembly of tissues and organs. This is well illustrated in the Drosophila eye where differential adhesion plays a role in sequential recruitment of all support cells. Cell adhesion, on the other hand, is linked to the cytoskeleton and subject to regulation by cell signaling. The integration of cell adhesion with the cytoskeleton and cell signaling may provide a more thorough explanation for the diversity of forms and shapes seen in tissues and organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin Bao
- Saint James School of Medicine , Bonaire , Caribbean Netherlands
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109
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Hong EH, Song JY, Lee SJ, Park IC, Um HD, Park JK, Lee KH, Nam SY, Hwang SG. Low-dose γ-radiation inhibits IL-1β-induced dedifferentiation and inflammation of articular chondrocytes via blockage of catenin signaling. IUBMB Life 2014; 66:128-37. [PMID: 24604706 PMCID: PMC4321059 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Although low-dose radiation (LDR) regulates a wide range of biological processes, limited information is available on the effects of LDR on the chondrocyte phenotype. Here, we found that LDR, at doses of 0.5–2 centiGray (cGy), inhibited interleukin (IL)-1β-induced chondrocyte destruction without causing side effects, such as cell death and senescence. IL-1β treatment induced an increase in the expression of α-, β-, and γ-catenin proteins in chondrocytes via Akt signaling, thereby promoting dedifferentiation through catenin-dependent suppression of Sox-9 transcription factor expression and induction of inflammation through activation of the NF-κB pathway. Notably, LDR blocked cartilage disorders by inhibiting IL-1β-induced catenin signaling and subsequent catenin-dependent suppression of the Sox-9 pathway and activation of the NF-κB pathway, without directly altering catenin expression. LDR also inhibited chondrocyte destruction through the catenin pathway induced by epidermal growth factor, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, and retinoic acid. Collectively, these results identify the molecular mechanisms by which LDR suppresses pathophysiological processes and establish LDR as a potentially valuable therapeutic tool for patients with cytokine- or soluble factors-mediated cartilage disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Hee Hong
- Division of Radiation Cancer Biology, Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea; Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
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110
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α-catenin acts as a tumour suppressor in E-cadherin-negative basal-like breast cancer by inhibiting NF-κB signalling. Nat Cell Biol 2014; 16:245-54. [PMID: 24509793 PMCID: PMC3943677 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Basal-like breast cancer is a highly aggressive tumour subtype associated with poor prognosis. Aberrant activation of NF-κB signalling is frequently found in triple-negative basal-like breast cancer cells, but the cause of this activation has remained elusive.Here we report that α-catenin functions as a tumour suppressor in E-cadherin-negative basal-like breast cancer cells by inhibiting NF-κB signalling. Mechanistically, α-catenin interacts with the IκBα protein, and stabilizes IκBα by inhibiting its ubiquitylation and its association with the proteasome. This stabilization in turn prevents nuclear localization of RelA and p50, leading to decreased expression of TNF-α, IL-8 and RelB. In human breast cancer, CTNNA1 expression is specifically downregulated in the basal-like subtype, correlates with clinical outcome and inversely correlates with TNF and RELB expression. Taken together, these results uncover a previously undescribed mechanism by which the NF-κB pathway is activated in E-cadherin-negative basal-like breast cancer.
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111
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Bhatt T, Rizvi A, Batta SPR, Kataria S, Jamora C. Signaling and mechanical roles of E-cadherin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 20:189-99. [PMID: 24205986 DOI: 10.3109/15419061.2013.854778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The epithelium comprises an important tissue that lines the internal and external surfaces of metazoan organs. In order to organize sheets of epithelial cells into three-dimensional tissues, it requires the coordination of basic cellular processes such as polarity, adhesion, growth, and differentiation. Moreover, as a primary barrier to the external environment, epithelial tissues are often subjected to physical forces and damage. This critical barrier function dictates that these fundamental cellular processes are continually operational in order to maintain tissue homeostasis in the face of almost constant trauma and stress. A protein that is largely responsible for the organization and maintenance of epithelial tissues is the transmembrane protein, E-cadherin, found at the surface of epithelial cells. Though originally investigated for its essential role in mediating intercellular cohesion, its impact on a wide array of physiological processes underscores its fundamental contributions to tissue development and its perturbation in a variety of common diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanay Bhatt
- IFOM-inStem Joint Research Laboratory, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine , Bangalore , India
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112
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Cheng JC, Chang HM, Leung PCK. Transforming growth factor-β1 inhibits trophoblast cell invasion by inducing Snail-mediated down-regulation of vascular endothelial-cadherin protein. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:33181-92. [PMID: 24106276 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.488866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human trophoblast cells express transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and TGF-β receptors. It has been shown that TGF-β1 treatment decreases the invasiveness of trophoblast cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying TGF-β1-decreased trophoblast invasion are still not fully understood. In the current study, we demonstrated that treatment of HTR-8/SVneo human trophoblast cells with TGF-β1 decreased cell invasion and down-regulated the expression of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin). In addition, the inhibitory effect of TGF-β1 on VE-cadherin was confirmed in primary cultures of human trophoblast cells. Moreover, knockdown of VE-cadherin using siRNA decreased the invasiveness of HTR-8/SVneo cells and primary cultures of trophoblast cells. Treatment with TGF-β1 induced the activation of Smad-dependent signaling pathways and the expression of Snail and Slug. Knockdown of Smads attenuated TGF-β1-induced up-regulation of Snail and Slug and down-regulation of VE-cadherin. Interestingly, depletion of Snail, but not Slug, attenuated TGF-β1-induced down-regulation of VE-cadherin. Furthermore, overexpression of Snail suppressed VE-cadherin expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed the direct binding of Snail to the VE-cadherin promoter. These results provide evidence that Snail mediates TGF-β1-induced down-regulation of VE-cadherin, which subsequently contributed to TGF-β1-decreased trophoblast cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Chien Cheng
- From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child & Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V5, Canada
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113
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Janmey PA, Wells RG, Assoian RK, McCulloch CA. From tissue mechanics to transcription factors. Differentiation 2013; 86:112-20. [PMID: 23969122 PMCID: PMC4545622 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2013.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2013] [Revised: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Changes in tissue stiffness are frequently associated with diseases such as cancer, fibrosis, and atherosclerosis. Several recent studies suggest that, in addition to resulting from pathology, mechanical changes may play a role akin to soluble factors in causing the progression of disease, and similar mechanical control might be essential for normal tissue development and homeostasis. Many cell types alter their structure and function in response to exogenous forces or as a function of the mechanical properties of the materials to which they adhere. This review summarizes recent progress in identifying intracellular signaling pathways, and especially transcriptional programs, that are differentially activated when cells adhere to materials with different mechanical properties or when they are subject to tension arising from external forces. Several cytoplasmic or cytoskeletal signaling pathways involving small GTPases, focal adhesion kinase and transforming growth factor beta as well as the transcriptional regulators MRTF-A, NFκB, and Yap/Taz have emerged as important mediators of mechanical signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Janmey
- Departments of Physiology and Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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114
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Cichoń MA, Szentpetery Z, Caley MP, Papadakis ES, Mackenzie IC, Brennan CH, O'Toole EA. The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl regulates cell-cell adhesion and stemness in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene 2013; 33:4185-92. [PMID: 24056961 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Axl is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) upregulated in various tumors including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Axl expression correlates with poor prognosis and induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), hence we hypothesized that Axl is involved in the disruption of cell-cell adhesion to allow invasion and chemotherapy resistance of the cancer stem cell population. Cutaneous SCC cell lines with stable knockdown of Axl were generated using retroviral vectors. Axl depletion altered expression of intercellular junction molecules increasing cell-cell adhesion with downregulation of Wnt and TGFβR signaling. Furthermore, Axl expression correlated with the expression of putative cancer stem cell markers, CD44 and ALDH1, increased resistance to chemotherapy drugs, enhanced sphere formation ability and expression of EMT features by cancer stem cells. Axl depletion resulted in loss of tumor formation in an in vivo zebrafish xenograft model. In conclusion, these data suggest that abrogation of Axl results in loss of cancer stem cell properties indicating a role for Axl as a therapeutic target in chemotherapy-resistant cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Cichoń
- Centre for Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Z Szentpetery
- Centre for Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - M P Caley
- Centre for Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - E S Papadakis
- Cancer Sciences Division, Cancer Research UK Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - I C Mackenzie
- Centre for Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - C H Brennan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - E A O'Toole
- Centre for Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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115
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Crossing the wall: The opening of endothelial cell junctions during infectious diseases. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2013; 45:1165-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2013.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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116
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Dufour S, Mège RM, Thiery JP. α-catenin, vinculin, and F-actin in strengthening E-cadherin cell-cell adhesions and mechanosensing. Cell Adh Migr 2013; 7:345-50. [PMID: 23739176 PMCID: PMC3739810 DOI: 10.4161/cam.25139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Classical cadherins play a crucial role in establishing intercellular adhesion, regulating cortical tension, and maintaining mechanical coupling between cells. The mechanosensitive regulation of intercellular adhesion strengthening depends on the recruitment of adhesion complexes at adhesion sites and their anchoring to the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, the molecular mechanisms coupling cadherin-associated complexes to the actin cytoskeleton are actively being studied, with a particular focus on α-catenin and vinculin. We have recently addressed the role of these proteins by analyzing the consequences of their depletion and the expression of α-catenin mutants in the formation and strengthening of cadherin-mediated adhesions. We have used the dual pipette assay to measure the forces required to separate cell doublets formed in suspension. In this commentary, we briefly summarize the current knowledge on the role of α-catenin and vinculin in cadherin-actin cytoskeletal interactions. These data shed light on the tension-dependent contribution of α-catenin and vinculin in a mechanoresponsive complex that promotes the connection between cadherin and the actin cytoskeleton and their requirement in the development of adhesion strengthening.
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117
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Ishiyama N, Tanaka N, Abe K, Yang YJ, Abbas YM, Umitsu M, Nagar B, Bueler SA, Rubinstein JL, Takeichi M, Ikura M. An autoinhibited structure of α-catenin and its implications for vinculin recruitment to adherens junctions. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:15913-25. [PMID: 23589308 PMCID: PMC3668747 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.453928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
α-Catenin is an actin- and vinculin-binding protein that regulates cell-cell adhesion by interacting with cadherin adhesion receptors through β-catenin, but the mechanisms by which it anchors the cadherin-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton at adherens junctions remain unclear. Here we determined crystal structures of αE-catenin in the autoinhibited state and the actin-binding domain of αN-catenin. Together with the small-angle x-ray scattering analysis of full-length αN-catenin, we deduced an elongated multidomain assembly of monomeric α-catenin that structurally and functionally couples the vinculin- and actin-binding mechanisms. Cellular and biochemical studies of αE- and αN-catenins show that αE-catenin recruits vinculin to adherens junctions more effectively than αN-catenin, partly because of its higher affinity for actin filaments. We propose a molecular switch mechanism involving multistate conformational changes of α-catenin. This would be driven by actomyosin-generated tension to dynamically regulate the vinculin-assisted linkage between adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Ishiyama
- From the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute and
| | - Nobutoshi Tanaka
- the Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kentaro Abe
- the Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoo Jeong Yang
- From the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute and
| | - Yazan M. Abbas
- the Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axe sur la Structure des Proteines, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada, and
| | - Masataka Umitsu
- From the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute and
| | - Bhushan Nagar
- the Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axe sur la Structure des Proteines, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 0B1, Canada, and
| | - Stephanie A. Bueler
- the Molecular Structure and Function Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute and
| | - John L. Rubinstein
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
- the Molecular Structure and Function Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute and
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Mitsuhiko Ikura
- From the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute and
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
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118
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Desai R, Sarpal R, Ishiyama N, Pellikka M, Ikura M, Tepass U. Monomeric α-catenin links cadherin to the actin cytoskeleton. Nat Cell Biol 2013; 15:261-73. [PMID: 23417122 DOI: 10.1038/ncb2685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The linkage of adherens junctions to the actin cytoskeleton is essential for cell adhesion. The contribution of the cadherin-catenin complex to the interaction between actin and the adherens junction remains an intensely investigated subject that centres on the function of α-catenin, which binds to cadherin through β-catenin and can bind F-actin directly or indirectly. Here, we delineate regions within Drosophila α-Catenin (α-Cat) that are important for adherens junction performance in static epithelia and dynamic morphogenetic processes. Moreover, we address whether persistent α-catenin-mediated physical linkage between cadherin and F-actin is crucial for cell adhesion and characterize the functions of α-catenin monomers and dimers at adherens junctions. Our data support the view that monomeric α-catenin acts as an essential physical linker between the cadherin-β-catenin complex and the actin cytoskeleton, whereas α-catenin dimers are cytoplasmic and form an equilibrium with monomeric junctional α-catenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ridhdhi Desai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada
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119
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Thomas WA, Boscher C, Chu YS, Cuvelier D, Martinez-Rico C, Seddiki R, Heysch J, Ladoux B, Thiery JP, Mege RM, Dufour S. α-Catenin and vinculin cooperate to promote high E-cadherin-based adhesion strength. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:4957-69. [PMID: 23266828 PMCID: PMC3576099 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.403774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2012] [Revised: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining cell cohesiveness within tissues requires that intercellular adhesions develop sufficient strength to support traction forces applied by myosin motors and by neighboring cells. Cadherins are transmembrane receptors that mediate intercellular adhesion. The cadherin cytoplasmic domain recruits several partners, including catenins and vinculin, at sites of cell-cell adhesion. Our study used force measurements to address the role of αE-catenin and vinculin in the regulation of the strength of E-cadherin-based adhesion. αE-catenin-deficient cells display only weak aggregation and fail to strengthen intercellular adhesion over time, a process rescued by the expression of αE-catenin or chimeric E-cadherin·αE-catenins, including a chimera lacking the αE-catenin dimerization domain. Interestingly, an αE-catenin mutant lacking the modulation and actin-binding domains restores cadherin-dependent cell-cell contacts but cannot strengthen intercellular adhesion. The expression of αE-catenin mutated in its vinculin-binding site is defective in its ability to rescue cadherin-based adhesion strength in cells lacking αE-catenin. Vinculin depletion or the overexpression of the αE-catenin modulation domain strongly decreases E-cadherin-mediated adhesion strength. This supports the notion that both molecules are required for intercellular contact maturation. Furthermore, stretching of cell doublets increases vinculin recruitment and α18 anti-αE-catenin conformational epitope immunostaining at cell-cell contacts. Taken together, our results indicate that αE-catenin and vinculin cooperatively support intercellular adhesion strengthening, probably via a mechanoresponsive link between the E-cadherin·β-catenin complexes and the underlying actin cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A. Thomas
- From the Department of Natural Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire 03257
- the Institut Curie/CNRS UMR144, Paris 75005, France
| | - Cécile Boscher
- the Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris 75005, France
- INSERM, U 839, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris 75005, France
| | - Yeh-Shiu Chu
- the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Biopolis Drive, 138673 Singapore
| | | | | | - Rima Seddiki
- the Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris 75005, France
- INSERM, U 839, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris 75005, France
- the Laboratoire MSC, Université Paris 7, Paris 75013, France, and
| | - Julie Heysch
- the Institut Curie/CNRS UMR144, Paris 75005, France
| | - Benoit Ladoux
- the Laboratoire MSC, Université Paris 7, Paris 75013, France, and
- the Mechanobiology Institute, 117411 Singapore
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Biopolis Drive, 138673 Singapore
- the Mechanobiology Institute, 117411 Singapore
- Cancer Science Institute, 117599 Singapore, and
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597 Singapore
| | - René-Marc Mege
- the Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, Paris 75005, France
- INSERM, U 839, Institut du Fer à Moulin, Paris 75005, France
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120
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Rare missense neuronal cadherin gene (CDH2) variants in specific obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette disorder phenotypes. Eur J Hum Genet 2013; 21:850-4. [PMID: 23321619 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2012.245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2012] [Revised: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent finding that the neuronal cadherin gene CDH2 confers a highly significant risk for canine compulsive disorder led us to investigate whether missense variants within the human ortholog CDH2 are associated with altered susceptibility to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette disorder (TD) and related disorders. Exon resequencing of CDH2 in 320 individuals identified four non-synonymous single-nucleotide variants, which were subsequently genotyped in OCD probands, Tourette disorder probands and relatives, and healthy controls (total N=1161). None of the four variants was significantly associated with either OCD or TD. One variant, N706S, was found only in the OCD/TD groups, but not in controls. By examining clinical data, we found there were significant TD-related phenotype differences between those OCD probands with and without the N845S variant with regard to the co-occurrence of TD (Fisher's exact test P=0.014, OR=6.03). Both N706S and N845S variants conferred reduced CDH2 protein expression in transfected cells. Although our data provide no overall support for association of CDH2 rare variants in these disorders considered as single entities, the clinical features and severity of probands carrying the uncommon non-synonymous variants suggest that CDH2, along with other cadherin and cell adhesion genes, is an interesting gene to pursue as a plausible contributor to OCD, TD and related disorders with repetitive behaviors, including autism spectrum disorders.
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121
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Parfrey LW, Lahr DJG. Multicellularity arose several times in the evolution of eukaryotes (Response to DOI 10.1002/bies.201100187). Bioessays 2013; 35:339-47. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201200143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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122
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Rangarajan ES, Izard T. Dimer asymmetry defines α-catenin interactions. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2013; 20:188-93. [PMID: 23292143 PMCID: PMC3805043 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The F-actin binding cytoskeletal protein α-catenin interacts with
β-catenin-cadherin complexes and stabilizes cell-cell junctions. The
β-catenin–α-catenin complex cannot bind to F-actin,
whereas interactions of α-catenin with the cytoskeletal protein vinculin
appear necessary to stabilize adherens junctions. Here we report the crystal
structure of nearly full-length human α-catenin at 3.7 Å
resolution. α-Catenin forms an asymmetric dimer, where the four-helix
bundle domains of each subunit engage in distinct intermolecular interactions.
This results in a left handshake-like dimer, where the two subunits have
remarkably different conformations. The crystal structure explains why dimeric
α-catenin has a higher affinity for F-actin than monomeric
α-catenin, why the β-catenin–α-catenin complex
does not bind to F-actin, how activated vinculin links the cadherin-catenin
complex to the cytoskeleton, and why α-catenin but not inactive vinculin
can bind to F-actin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erumbi S Rangarajan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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123
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Collinet C, Lecuit T. Stability and dynamics of cell-cell junctions. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2013; 116:25-47. [PMID: 23481189 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394311-8.00002-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adherens junctions display dual properties of robustness and plasticity. In multicellular organisms, they support both strong cell-cell adhesion and rapid cell-cell contact remodeling during development and wound healing. The core components of adherens junctions are clusters of cadherin molecules, which mediate cell-cell adhesion through homophilic interactions in trans. Interactions of cadherins with the actin cytoskeleton are essential for providing both stability and plasticity to adherens junctions. Cadherins regulate the turnover of actin by regulating its polymerization and anchor tensile actomyosin networks at the cell cortex. In turn, actin regulates cadherin turnover by regulating its endocytosis and actomyosin networks exert forces driving remodeling of cell-cell contacts. The interplay between adherens junctions and contractile actomyosin networks has striking outcomes during epithelial morphogenesis. Their integrated dynamics result in different morphogenetic patterns shaping tissues and organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Collinet
- Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille Luminy (IBDML), Unite Mixte de Recherche 6216, Case 907, Marseille, France
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124
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Hulpiau P, Gul IS, van Roy F. New insights into the evolution of metazoan cadherins and catenins. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2013; 116:71-94. [PMID: 23481191 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394311-8.00004-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
E-Cadherin and β-catenin are the best studied representatives of the superfamilies of transmembrane cadherins and intracellular armadillo catenins, respectively. However, in over 600 million years of multicellular animal evolution, these two superfamilies have diversified remarkably both structurally and functionally. Although their basic building blocks, respectively, the cadherin repeat domain and the armadillo repeat domain, predate metazoans, the specific and complex domain compositions of the different family members and their functional roles in cell adhesion and signaling appear to be key features for the emergence of multicellular animal life. Basal animals such as placozoans and sponges have a limited number of distinct cadherins and catenins. The origin of vertebrates, in particular, coincided with a large increase in the number of cadherins and armadillo proteins, including modern "classical" cadherins, protocadherins, and plakophilins. Also, α-catenins increased. This chapter introduces the many different family members and describes the putative evolutionary relationships between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paco Hulpiau
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
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125
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Rajput C, Kini V, Smith M, Yazbeck P, Chavez A, Schmidt T, Zhang W, Knezevic N, Komarova Y, Mehta D. Neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP)-mediated p120-catenin interaction with Arp2-Actin complex stabilizes endothelial adherens junctions. J Biol Chem 2012; 288:4241-50. [PMID: 23212915 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.440396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Stable adherens junctions (AJs) are required for formation of restrictive endothelial barrier. Vascular endothelial cadherin from contiguous endothelial cells forms AJs, which are stabilized intracellularly by binding of p120-catenin and cortical actin. Mechanisms inducing cortical actin formation and enabling its linkage with p120-catenin remain enigmatic. We altered the function of neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP), which induces actin polymerization through actin-related protein 2/3 complex (Arp2/3), to address the role of N-WASP in regulating AJ stability and thereby endothelial permeability. We show that depletion of N-WASP in endothelial cells impaired AJ adhesion and favored the organization of actin from cortical actin to stress fibers, resulting thereby in formation of leaky endothelial barrier. Exposure of the N-WASP-depleted endothelial cell monolayer to the permeability-increasing mediator, thrombin, exaggerated AJ disruption and stress fiber formation, leading to an irreversible increase in endothelial permeability. We show that N-WASP binds p120-catenin through its verprolin cofilin acid (VCA) domain, induces cortical actin formation through Arp2, and links p120-catenin with cortical actin. The interaction of N-WASP with p120-catenin, actin, and Arp2 requires phosphorylation of N-WASP at the Tyr-256 residue by focal adhesion kinase. Expression of the VCA domain of N-WASP or phosphomimicking (Y256D)-N-WASP mutant in endothelial cells stabilizes AJs and facilitates barrier recovery after thrombin stimulation. Our study demonstrates that N-WASP, by mediating p120-catenin interaction with actin-polymerizing machinery, maintains AJs and mitigates disruption of endothelial barrier function by edemagenic agents, therefore representing a novel target for preventing leaky endothelial barrier syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Rajput
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Lung and Vascular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA
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126
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Sengupta PK, Bouchie MP, Nita-Lazar M, Yang HY, Kukuruzinska MA. Coordinate regulation of N-glycosylation gene DPAGT1, canonical Wnt signaling and E-cadherin adhesion. J Cell Sci 2012. [PMID: 23178939 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.113035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolic pathway of protein N-glycosylation influences intercellular adhesion by affecting the composition and cytoskeletal association of E-cadherin protein complexes, or adherens junctions (AJs). In sparse cells, E-cadherin is modified extensively with complex N-glycans and forms nascent AJs, while in dense cultures, hypoglycosylated E-cadherin drives the assembly of mature AJs with increased levels of γ- and α-catenins. N-glycosylation of E-cadherin is controlled by the DPAGT1 gene, a key regulator of the N-glycosylation pathway. DPAGT1 is a target of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, with both β- and γ-catenins binding to Tcf at its promoter. We now report that DPAGT1 senses cell density through canonical Wnt signaling. In dense cells, depletion of β-catenin from the DPAGT1 promoter correlated with downregulation of its cellular abundance, while loss of nuclear γ-catenin reflected its greater recruitment to AJs. DPAGT1 itself affected canonical Wnt signaling, with forced changes in its expression resulting in corresponding changes in transcriptionally active β-catenin and canonical Wnt activity. Remarkably, a 2.4-fold increase in the DPAGT1 mRNA level resulted in increased N-glycosylation and reduced membrane localization of E-cadherin, coincident with dramatic changes in cell morphology. Lastly, we present evidence that N-glycosylation status of E-cadherin controls its antagonism of canonical Wnt signaling. Transfection of hypoglycosylated E-cadherin mutant, V13, but not fully N-glycosylated E-cadherin, into sparse cells inhibited canonical Wnt activity by depleting nuclear β- and γ-catenins. Collectively, our studies show that cells coordinate DPAGT1 expression and protein N-glycosylation with canonical Wnt signaling and E-cadherin adhesion via positive and negative feedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritam K Sengupta
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Medical Center, 72 East Concord Street, EVANS-E438, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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127
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Abstract
The contribution of adherens junction inactivation, typically by downregulation or mutation of the transmembrane core component E-cadherin, to cancer progression is well recognized. In contrast, the role of the desmosomal cadherin components of the related cell-cell adhesion junction, the desmosome, in cancer development has not been well explored. Here, we use mouse models to probe the functional role of desmosomal cadherins in carcinogenesis. Because mice lacking the desmosomal cadherin Desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) have revealed a crucial role for Dsg3 in cell-cell adhesion in stratified epithelia, we investigate the consequence of Dsg3 loss in two models of skin carcinogenesis. First, using Dsg3−/− keratinocytes, we show that these cells display adhesion defects in vitro and compromised tumor growth in allograft assays, suggesting that Dsg3 enables tumor formation in certain settings. In contrast, using an autochthonous model for SCC development in response to chronic UVB treatment, we discover a surprising lack of enhanced tumorigenesis in Dsg3−/− mice relative to controls, unlike mice lacking the desmosomal component Perp. Accordingly, there is no defect in the apoptotic response to UVB or enhanced immune cell infiltration upon Dsg3 loss that could promote tumorigenesis. Thus, Dsg3 does not display a clear function as a tumor suppressor in these mouse skin cancer models. Continued unraveling of the roles of Dsg3 and other desmosomal constituents in carcinogenesis in different contexts will be important for ultimately improving cancer diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Baron
- Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Anabel Hoang
- Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Hannes Vogel
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Laura D. Attardi
- Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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128
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van Hengel J, Calore M, Bauce B, Dazzo E, Mazzotti E, De Bortoli M, Lorenzon A, Li Mura IE, Beffagna G, Rigato I, Vleeschouwers M, Tyberghein K, Hulpiau P, van Hamme E, Zaglia T, Corrado D, Basso C, Thiene G, Daliento L, Nava A, van Roy F, Rampazzo A. Mutations in the area composita protein αT-catenin are associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Eur Heart J 2012; 34:201-10. [DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehs373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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129
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Zhang LJ, Bhattacharya S, Leid M, Ganguli-Indra G, Indra AK. Ctip2 is a dynamic regulator of epidermal proliferation and differentiation by integrating EGFR and Notch signaling. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:5733-44. [PMID: 23015591 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.108969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidermal morphogenesis results from a delicate balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, and this balance is perturbed upon deletion of transcription factor Ctip2. Here we demonstrate that Ctip2, in a cell autonomous manner, controls keratinocyte proliferation and cytoskeletal organization, and regulates the onset and maintenance of differentiation in keratinocytes in culture. Ctip2 integrates keratinocyte proliferation and the switch to differentiation by directly and positively regulating EGFR transcription in proliferating cells and Notch1 transcription in differentiating cells. In proliferative cells, the EGFR promoter is occupied by Ctip2, whereas Ctip2 is only recruited to the Notch1 promoter under differentiating conditions. Activation of EGFR signaling downregulates Ctip2 at the transcript level, whereas high calcium signaling triggers SUMOylation, ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of Ctip2 at the protein level. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism(s) of Ctip2-mediated, coordinated control of epidermal proliferation and terminal differentiation, and identify a pathway of negative feedback regulation of Ctip2 during epidermal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-juan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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130
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Abstract
Morphological changes that occur during kidney injury involve actin skeleton remodeling. Here we tested whether heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a small stress response protein involved in cytoskeletal remodeling, protects the kidney from tubulointerstitial fibrosis in obstructive nephropathy. Tubular cell HSP27 immunostaining was significantly increased in human kidneys with ureteropelvic junction obstruction; supporting the clinical relevance of our studies. To develop an animal model for mechanistic studies we generated transgenic mice that specifically overexpress human HSP27 in renal tubules, under the kidney androgen-regulated protein promoter, and determined the effects of HSP27 overexpression on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and tubulointerstitial fibrosis following unilateral ureteral obstruction. This was associated with decreased fibrogenesis as evidenced by significant declines in phosphorylated p38MAPK, collagen III, α-smooth muscle actin, 4-hydroxynonenal, and reduced trichrome staining following obstruction. Notably, E-cadherin and β-catenin remained at the cell membrane of tubular cells in transgenic mice with an obstructed ureter. Monocyte/macrophage infiltration, however, was not significantly affected in these transgenic mice. Thus, tubular HSP27 inhibits fibrogenesis in obstructive nephropathy. Further studies are needed to determine pathways regulating the interactions between HSP27 and the E-cadherin-β-catenin complex.
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131
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Cao C, Chen Y, Masood R, Sinha UK, Kobielak A. α-Catulin marks the invasion front of squamous cell carcinoma and is important for tumor cell metastasis. Mol Cancer Res 2012; 10:892-903. [PMID: 22648798 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-12-0169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) comprise the most common types of human epithelial cancers. One subtype, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), is a particularly aggressive cancer with poor prognosis due to late diagnosis and lymph node metastasis. Of all the processes involved in carcinogenesis, local invasion and distant metastasis are clinically the most relevant, but are the least well understood on a molecular level. Here, we find that in vivo, the α-catenin homologue-α-catulin, a protein originally reported to interact with Lbc Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is highly expressed at the tumor invasion front and in the metastatic streams of cells in both malignant hHNSCCs and a mouse model of oral SCC. Knockdown of α-catulin in hHNSCC cell lines dramatically decrease the migratory and invasive potential of those cells in vitro and metastatic potential in xenotransplants in vivo. Analysis of tumors deficient in α-catulin showed that the tumor cells are unable to invade the surrounding stroma. Accordingly, transcriptional profiling of those tumors revealed that α-catulin ablation is accompanied by changes in genes involved in cell migration and invasion. Interestingly enough, in vitro experiments show that an upregulation of α-catulin expression correlates with the transition of tumor cells from an epithelial to a mesenchymal morphology, as well as an upregulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers vimentin and snail. Overall, these results strongly indicate that α-catulin contributes to the invasive behavior of metastatic cells and may be used as a prognostic marker and future therapeutic target for patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Cao
- Department of Otolaryngology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Norris Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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132
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Hwang S, Zimmerman NP, Agle KA, Turner JR, Kumar SN, Dwinell MB. E-cadherin is critical for collective sheet migration and is regulated by the chemokine CXCL12 protein during restitution. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:22227-40. [PMID: 22549778 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.367979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines and other immune mediators enhance epithelial barrier repair. The intestinal barrier is established by highly regulated cell-cell contacts between epithelial cells. The goal of these studies was to define the role for the chemokine CXCL12 in regulating E-cadherin during collective sheet migration during epithelial restitution. Mechanisms regulating E-cadherin were investigated using Caco2(BBE) and IEC-6 model epithelia. Genetic knockdown confirmed a critical role for E-cadherin in in vitro restitution and in vivo wound repair. During restitution, both CXCL12 and TGF-β1 tightened the monolayer by decreasing the paracellular space between migrating epithelial cells. However, CXCL12 differed from TGF-β1 by stimulating the significant increase in E-cadherin membrane localization during restitution. Chemokine-stimulated relocalization of E-cadherin was paralleled by an increase in barrier integrity of polarized epithelium during restitution. CXCL12 activation of its cognate receptor CXCR4 stimulated E-cadherin localization and monolayer tightening through Rho-associated protein kinase activation and F-actin reorganization. These data demonstrate a key role for E-cadherin in intestinal epithelial restitution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soonyean Hwang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
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133
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Fiore C, Bailey D, Conlon N, Wu X, Martin N, Fiorentino M, Finn S, Fall K, Andersson SO, Andren O, Loda M, Flavin R. Utility of multispectral imaging in automated quantitative scoring of immunohistochemistry. J Clin Pathol 2012; 65:496-502. [PMID: 22447914 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2012-200734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Automated scanning devices and image analysis software provide a means to overcome the limitations of manual semiquantitative scoring of immunohistochemistry. Common drawbacks to automated imaging systems include an inability to classify tissue type and an inability to segregate cytoplasmic and nuclear staining. METHODS Immunohistochemistry for the membranous marker α-catenin, the cytoplasmic marker stathmin and the nuclear marker Ki-67 was performed on tissue microarrays (TMA) of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue comprising 471 (α-catenin and stathmin) and 511 (Ki-67) cases of prostate adenocarcinoma. These TMA were quantitatively analysed using two commercially available automated image analysers, the Ariol SL-50 system and the Nuance system from CRi. Both systems use brightfield microscopy for automated, unbiased and standardised quantification of immunohistochemistry, while the Nuance system has spectral deconvolution capabilities. RESULTS Overall concordance between scores from both systems was excellent (r=0.90; 0.83-0.95). The software associated with the multispectral imager allowed accurate automated classification of tissue type into epithelial glandular structures and stroma, and a single-step segmentation of staining into cytoplasmic or nuclear compartments allowing independent evaluation of these areas. The Nuance system, however, was not able to distinguish reliably between tumour and non-tumour tissue. In addition, variance in the labour and time required for analysis between the two systems was also noted. CONCLUSION Despite limitations, this study suggests some beneficial role for the use of a multispectral imaging system in automated analysis of immunohistochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Fiore
- Center for Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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134
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Bucci C, Bakke O, Progida C. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and intracellular traffic. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 99:191-225. [PMID: 22465036 PMCID: PMC3514635 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2011] [Revised: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 03/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mutations of genes whose primary function is the regulation of membrane traffic are increasingly being identified as the underlying causes of various important human disorders. Intriguingly, mutations in ubiquitously expressed membrane traffic genes often lead to cell type- or organ-specific disorders. This is particularly true for neuronal diseases, identifying the nervous system as the most sensitive tissue to alterations of membrane traffic. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is one of the most common inherited peripheral neuropathies. It is also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN), which comprises a group of disorders specifically affecting peripheral nerves. This peripheral neuropathy, highly heterogeneous both clinically and genetically, is characterized by a slowly progressive degeneration of the muscle of the foot, lower leg, hand and forearm, accompanied by sensory loss in the toes, fingers and limbs. More than 30 genes have been identified as targets of mutations that cause CMT neuropathy. A number of these genes encode proteins directly or indirectly involved in the regulation of intracellular traffic. Indeed, the list of genes linked to CMT disease includes genes important for vesicle formation, phosphoinositide metabolism, lysosomal degradation, mitochondrial fission and fusion, and also genes encoding endosomal and cytoskeletal proteins. This review focuses on the link between intracellular transport and CMT disease, highlighting the molecular mechanisms that underlie the different forms of this peripheral neuropathy and discussing the pathophysiological impact of membrane transport genetic defects as well as possible future ways to counteract these defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Bucci
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Via Provinciale Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
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135
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Tanaka T, Iino M, Goto K. Knockdown of Sec6 improves cell-cell adhesion by increasing α-E-catenin in oral cancer cells. FEBS Lett 2012; 586:924-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2011] [Revised: 02/04/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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136
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Xiang Y, Qin XQ, Liu HJ, Tan YR, Liu C, Liu CX. Identification of transcription factors regulating CTNNAL1 expression in human bronchial epithelial cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31158. [PMID: 22359570 PMCID: PMC3281047 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion molecules play important roles in airway hyperresponsiveness or airway inflammation. Our previous study indicated catenin alpha-like 1 (CTNNAL1), an alpha-catenin-related protein, was downregulated in asthma patients and animal model. In this study, we observed that the expression of CTNNAL1 was increased in lung tissue of the ozone-stressed Balb/c mice model and in acute ozone stressed human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC). In order to identify the possible DNA-binding proteins regulating the transcription of CTNNAL1 gene in HBEC, we designed 8 oligo- nucleotide probes corresponding to various regions of the CTNNAL1 promoter in electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). We detected 5 putative transcription factors binding sites within CTNNAL1 promoter region that can recruit LEF-1, AP-2α and CREB respectively by EMSA and antibody supershift assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay verified that AP-2 α and LEF-1 could be recruited to the CTNNAL1 promoter. Therefore we further analyzed the functions of putative AP-2 and LEF-1 sites within CTNNAL1 promoter by site-directed mutagenesis of those sites within pGL3/FR/luc. We observed a reduction in human CTNNAL1 promoter activity of mutants of both AP-2α and LEF-1 sites. Pre-treatment with ASOs targeting LEF-1and AP-2α yielded significant reduction of ozone-stress-induced CTNNAL1 expression. The activation of AP-2α and LEF-1, followed by CTNNAL1 expression, showed a correlation during a 16-hour time course. Our data suggest that a robust transcriptional CTNNAL1 up-regulation occurs during acute ozone-induced stress and is mediated at least in part by ozone-induced recruitments of LEF-1 and AP-2α to the human CTNNAL1 promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xiang
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiao-Qun Qin
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Hui-Jun Liu
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yu-Rong Tan
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chi Liu
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Cai-Xia Liu
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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137
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Jumping the barrier: VE-cadherin, VEGF and other angiogenic modifiers in cancer. Biol Cell 2012; 103:593-605. [PMID: 22054419 DOI: 10.1042/bc20110069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The endothelial barrier controls the passage of fluids, nutrients and cells through the vascular wall. This physiological function is closely related to developmental and adult angiogenesis, blood pressure control, as well as immune responses. Moreover, cancer progression is frequently characterized by disorganized and leaky blood vessels. In this context, vascular permeability drives tumour-induced angiogenesis, blood flow disturbances, inflammatory cell infiltration and tumour cell extravasation. Although various molecules have been implicated, the vascular endothelial adhesion molecule, VE-cadherin (vascular endothelial cadherin), has emerged as a critical player involved in maintaining endothelial barrier integrity and homoeostasis. Indeed, VE-cadherin coordinates the endothelial cell-cell junctions through its adhesive and signalling properties. Of note, many angiogenic and inflammatory mediators released into the tumour microenvironment influence VE-cadherin behaviour. Therefore restoring VE-cadherin function could be one very promising target for vascular normalization in cancer therapies. In this review, we will mainly focus on recent discoveries concerning the molecular mechanisms involved in modulating VE-cadherin plasticity in cancer.
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138
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Sarpal R, Pellikka M, Patel RR, Hui FYW, Godt D, Tepass U. Mutational analysis supports a core role for Drosophila α-catenin in adherens junction function. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:233-45. [PMID: 22266901 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.096644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
α-catenin associates the cadherin-catenin complex with the actin cytoskeleton. α-catenin binds to β-catenin, which links it to the cadherin cytoplasmic tail, and F-actin, but also to a multitude of actin-associated proteins. These interactions suggest a highly complex cadherin-actin interface. Moreover, mammalian αE-catenin has been implicated in a cadherin-independent cytoplasmic function in Arp2/3-dependent actin regulation, and in cell signaling. The function and regulation of individual molecular interactions of α-catenin, in particular during development, are not well understood. We have generated mutations in Drosophila α-Catenin (α-Cat) to investigate α-Catenin function in this model, and to establish a setup for testing α-Catenin-related constructs in α-Cat-null mutant cells in vivo. Our analysis of α-Cat mutants in embryogenesis, imaginal discs and oogenesis reveals defects consistent with a loss of cadherin function. Compromising components of the Arp2/3 complex or its regulator SCAR ameliorate the α-Cat loss-of-function phenotype in embryos but not in ovaries, suggesting negative regulatory interactions between α-Catenin and the Arp2/3 complex in some tissues. We also show that the α-Cat mutant phenotype can be rescued by the expression of a DE-cadherin::α-Catenin fusion protein, which argues against an essential cytosolic, cadherin-independent role of Drosophila α-Catenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Sarpal
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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139
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Bonazzi M, Cossart P. Impenetrable barriers or entry portals? The role of cell-cell adhesion during infection. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 195:349-58. [PMID: 22042617 PMCID: PMC3206337 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201106011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell-cell adhesion plays a fundamental role in cell polarity and organogenesis. It also contributes to the formation and establishment of physical barriers against microbial infections. However, a large number of pathogens, from viruses to bacteria and parasites, have developed countless strategies to specifically target cell adhesion molecules in order to adhere to and invade epithelial cells, disrupt epithelial integrity, and access deeper tissues for dissemination. The study of all these processes has contributed to the characterization of molecular machineries at the junctions of eukaryotic cells that have been better understood by using pathogens as probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bonazzi
- Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5236, CPBS, CNRS, 34293 Montpellier, France.
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140
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Abstract
The cadherin-catenin complex is the major building block of the adherens junction. It is responsible for coupling Ca(2+)-dependent intercellular junctions with various intracellular events, including actin dynamics and signaling pathways. Determination of three-dimensional structures of cadherins, p120 catenin, β-catenin and α-catenin at atomic-level resolution has allowed us to examine how the structure and function of cell adhesion molecules are further modulated by protein-protein interactions. Structural studies of cadherins revealed the strand-swap-dependent and -independent trans-dimerization mechanisms, as well as a potential mechanism for lateral clustering of cadherin trans-dimers. Crystallographic and NMR analyses of p120 catenin revealed that it regulates the stability of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion by associating with the majority of the E-cadherin juxtamembrane domain, including residues implicated in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and Hakai-dependent ubiquitination. Crystal structures of the β-catenin/E-cadherin complex and the β-/α-catenin chimera revealed extensive interactions necessary to form the cadherin/β-catenin/α-catenin ternary complex. Structural characterization of α-catenin has revealed conformational changes within the N-terminal and modulatory domains that are crucial for its role as a mechanosensor of cell-cell adhesion. Further insights into the connection between the cadherin-catenin complex and the actin cytoskeleton are integral to better understand how adjoining cells communicate through cell-cell adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Ishiyama
- Ontario Cancer Institute, 610 University Avenue, M5G 2M9, Toronto, ON, Canada
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141
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Abstract
Migration is a key cellular process, involved during morphogenetic movements as well as in the adult where it participates in immune cell trafficking, wound healing or tumour invasion. As they migrate, cells interact with a microenvironment composed of extracellular matrix and neighbouring cells. Cell-cell adhesions ensure tissue integrity while they allow migration of single or grouped cells within this tissue. Cadherin and nectin-based adherens junctions are key players in intercellular interactions. They are used as adhesive complexes whose mechanical properties improve cell coordination during collective migration and promote cell motility on cadherin substrates. In addition, adherens junctions transduce signals that actively participate in the control of directed cell migration, by providing polarity cues and also participating in contact inhibition of motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Etienne-Manneville
- Institut Pasteur, Cell Polarity and Migration Group and CNRS URA 2582, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France,
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142
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Abstract
Adherens junctions are the most common junction type found in animal epithelia. Their core components are classical cadherins and catenins, which form membrane-spanning complexes that mediate intercellular binding on the extracellular side and associate with the actin cytoskeleton on the intracellular side. Junctional cadherin-catenin complexes are key elements involved in driving animal morphogenesis. Despite their ubiquity and importance, comparative studies of classical cadherins, catenins and their related molecules suggest that the cadherin/catenin-based adherens junctions have undergone structural and compositional transitions during the diversification of animal lineages. This chapter describes the molecular diversities related to the cadherin-catenin complex, based on accumulated molecular and genomic information. Understanding when and how the junctional cadherin-catenin complex originated, and its subsequent diversification in animals, promotes a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of animal morphological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oda Hiroki
- JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, 569-1125, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan,
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143
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Lubarski I, Asher C, Garty H. FXYD5 (dysadherin) regulates the paracellular permeability in cultured kidney collecting duct cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2011; 301:F1270-80. [PMID: 21900457 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00142.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
FXYD5 (dysadherin or RIC) is a member of the FXYD family of single-span transmembrane proteins associated with the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. Several studies have demonstrated enhanced expression of FXYD5 during metastasis and effects on cell adhesion and motility. The current study examines effects of FXYD5 on the paracellular permeability in the mouse kidney collecting duct cell line M1. Expressing FXYD5 in these cells leads to a large decrease in amiloride-insensitive transepithelial electrical resistance as well as increased permeability to 4-kDa dextran. Impairment of cell-cell contact was also demonstrated by staining cells for the tight and adherence junction markers zonula occludens-1 and β-catenin, respectively. This is further supported by large expansions of the interstitial spaces, visualized in electron microscope images. Expressing FXYD5 in M1 cells resulted in a decrease in N-glycosylation of β1 Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, while silencing it in H1299 cells had an opposite effect. This may provide a mechanism for the above effects, since normal glycosylation of β1 plays an important role in cell-cell contact formation (Vagin O, Tokhtaeva E, Sachs G. J Biol Chem 281: 39573-39587, 2006).
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Lubarski
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
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144
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Leckband DE, le Duc Q, Wang N, de Rooij J. Mechanotransduction at cadherin-mediated adhesions. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2011; 23:523-30. [PMID: 21890337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2011.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Revised: 07/21/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell junctions are crucial mechanical and signaling hubs that connect cells within tissues and probe the mechanics of the surrounding environment. Although the capacity of cell-to-extracellular-matrix (ECM) adhesions to sense matrix mechanics and proportionally modify cell functions is well established, cell-cell adhesions only recently emerged as a new class of force sensors. This finding exposes new pathways through which force can instruct cell functions. This review highlights recent findings, which demonstrate that protein complexes associated with classical cadherins, the principal architectural proteins at cell-cell junctions in all soft tissues, are mechanosensors. We further discuss the current understanding of the rudiments of a cadherin-based mechanosensing and transduction pathway, which is distinct from the force sensing machinery of cell-ECM adhesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah E Leckband
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61822, USA.
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145
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Franke WW, Rickelt S. Mesenchymal-epithelial transitions: Spontaneous and cumulative syntheses of epithelial marker molecules and their assemblies to novel cell junctions connecting human hematopoietic tumor cells to carcinomatoid tissue structures. Int J Cancer 2011; 129:2588-99. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.26227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2010] [Revised: 05/02/2011] [Accepted: 05/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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146
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Etienne-Manneville S. Control of polarized cell morphology and motility by adherens junctions. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2011; 22:850-7. [PMID: 21839846 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2011.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2011] [Revised: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Cell-cell interactions play a key role in tissue homeostasis. Intercellular adhesions share the complex task of establishing and maintaining tissue architecture while allowing tissue growth, renewal and repair. In particular, adherens junctions (AJs) have been implicated in the formation of diverse tissues and organs like epitheliums, blood vessels or the central nervous system. At the cellular level, AJs are well known for their essential role in epithelial cell differentiation and baso-apical polarity. They also contribute to the control of cell polarity to promote neuronal morphogenesis, growth cone guidance and directed migration in a variety of cell types during embryonic development. AJs based on classical cadherin- and nectin-mediated cell-cell interactions control local membrane dynamics to polarize cell morphology and motility at the single cell level and to coordinate cell shape changes and motile behaviour at the tissue level. I review here the molecular mechanisms allowing control of polarized cell morphology and motility by AJs.
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147
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Yonemura S. Cadherin-actin interactions at adherens junctions. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2011; 23:515-22. [PMID: 21807490 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2011.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Revised: 07/02/2011] [Accepted: 07/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The adherens junction (AJ) is a major cell-cell junction that mediates cell recognition, adhesion, morphogenesis, and tissue integrity. Although AJs transmit forces generated by actomyosin from one cell to another, AJs have long been considered as an area where signal transduction from cadherin ligation takes place through cell adhesion. Through the efforts to understand embryonic or cellular morphogenesis, dynamic interactions between the AJ and actin filaments have become crucial issues to be addressed since actin association is essential for AJ development, remodeling and function. Here, I provide an overview of cadherin-actin interaction from morphological aspects and of possible molecular mechanisms revealed by recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigenobu Yonemura
- Electron Microscope Laboratory, Riken Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
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148
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Lekka M, Gil D, Dąbroś W, Jaczewska J, Kulik AJ, Lekki J, Stachura Z, Stachura J, Laidler P. Characterization of N-cadherin unbinding properties in non-malignant (HCV29) and malignant (T24) bladder cells. J Mol Recognit 2011; 24:833-42. [DOI: 10.1002/jmr.1123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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149
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Zhao ZM, Reynolds AB, Gaucher EA. The evolutionary history of the catenin gene family during metazoan evolution. BMC Evol Biol 2011; 11:198. [PMID: 21740572 PMCID: PMC3141441 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-11-198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2010] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Catenin is a gene family composed of three subfamilies; p120, beta and alpha. Beta and p120 are homologous subfamilies based on sequence and structural comparisons, and are members of the armadillo repeat protein superfamily. Alpha does not appear to be homologous to either beta or p120 based on the lack of sequence and structural similarity, and the alpha subfamily belongs to the vinculin superfamily. Catenins link the transmembrane protein cadherin to the cytoskeleton and thus function in cell-cell adhesion. To date, only the beta subfamily has been evolutionarily analyzed and experimentally studied for its functions in signaling pathways, development and human diseases such as cancer. We present a detailed evolutionary study of the whole catenin family to provide a better understanding of how this family has evolved in metazoans, and by extension, the evolution of cell-cell adhesion. RESULTS All three catenin subfamilies have been detected in metazoans used in the present study by searching public databases and applying species-specific BLAST searches. Two monophyletic clades are formed between beta and p120 subfamilies using Bayesian phylogenetic inference. Phylogenetic analyses also reveal an array of duplication events throughout metazoan history. Furthermore, numerous annotation issues for the catenin family have been detected by our computational analyses. CONCLUSIONS Delta2/ARVCF catenin in the p120 subfamily, beta catenin in the beta subfamily, and alpha2 catenin in the alpha subfamily are present in all metazoans analyzed. This implies that the last common ancestor of metazoans had these three catenin subfamilies. However, not all members within each subfamily were detected in all metazoan species. Each subfamily has undergone duplications at different levels (species-specific, subphylum-specific or phylum-specific) and to different extents (in the case of the number of homologs). Extensive annotation problems have been resolved in each of the three catenin subfamilies. This resolution provides a more coherent description of catenin evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Ming Zhao
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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150
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Cardone J, Al-Shouli S, Kemper C. A novel role for CD46 in wound repair. Front Immunol 2011; 2:28. [PMID: 22566818 PMCID: PMC3342392 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2011.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal epithelium not only provides a vital physical barrier between the host and environment but is also required for uptake of nutrients and the induction of tolerance against commensals. Deregulation of any of these functions leads to several disease states including chronic infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. Here, we describe a novel role for the complement regulator CD46 in the regulation of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) barrier function. We found that CD46 directly interacts in IECs with the cytoplasmic kinase SPAK and with transmembrane E-cadherin, both proteins necessary for epithelial cell junction and barrier formation. Further, CD46 activation on Caco-2 cells induced rapid and significant decrease in transepithelial resistance with concomitant increase in paracellular permeability. Importantly, though CD46 activation of IEC layers allowed for increased transgression of pathogenic E. coli, it also increased epithelial cell proliferation and accelerated wound repair. These data suggest a previously unappreciated role for CD46 in the maintenance of epithelial cell barrier integrity as well as barrier repair. However, this role for CD46 as “gate keeper” of the epithelium could also provide reason as to why so many pathogens bind to CD46 as such event would facilitate infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Cardone
- MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital London, UK
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