Expressed recombinant cadherins mediate cell sorting in model systems.
Cadherins are cell-surface glycoproteins responsible for Ca2+-dependent cell-to-cell adhesion. E- or P-cadherin was transfected into L cells, which normally have little cadherin activity, and cellular aggregation of the resulting transfectants was observed to be a function of the cadherin molecule expressed. Transfected cells preferentially adhered to cells expressing the same cadherin subclass. Furthermore, in reconstituted embryonic lung tissue, E-cadherin-expressing L cells were associated with epithelial tubules expressing E-cadherin, while untransfected L cells associated with mesenchymal cells. These results provide the first direct evidence that the differential expression of cadherins can play a role in cell sorting in heterogeneous cell populations.
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Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Japan.
Nagafuchi
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Takeichi
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D000371:Agglutination; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007739:L Cells; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D011994:Recombinant Proteins