E-cadherin engagement stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation.
Cadherins are cell adhesion molecules concentrated at intercellular adherens junctions, where they form a multiprotein complex with cytoplasmic catenins. Although cell-cell interactions affect many aspects of cell behavior, little is known about signaling pathways triggered by cadherin engagement. We show here that E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion leads to a rapid increase in tyrosine phosphorylation at sites of cell-cell contact and that this stimulation of tyrosine phosphorylation can be mimicked by aggregation of E-cadherin with antibodies. The proteins that become phosphorylated are distinct from those previously shown to be tyrosine phosphorylated in response to integrin-mediated adhesion and include ras-GAP. We also find that E-cadherin-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation is not required for the assembly of adherens-type junctions.
Kinch
M S
MS
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27599-7090, USA.
Petch
L
L
Zhong
C
C
Burridge
K
K
D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism*
D015820:Cadherins; D014443:Tyrosine; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases