alpha-Catenin-vinculin interaction functions to organize the apical junctional complex in epithelial cells.
alphaE-catenin, a cadherin-associated protein, is required for tight junction (TJ) organization, but its role is poorly understood. We transfected an alphaE-catenin-deficient colon carcinoma line with a series of alphaE-catenin mutant constructs. The results showed that the amino acid 326-509 domain of this catenin was required to organize TJs, and its COOH-terminal domain was not essential for this process. The 326-509 internal domain was found to bind vinculin. When an NH2-terminal alphaE-catenin fragment, which is by itself unable to organize the TJ, was fused with the vinculin tail, this chimeric molecule could induce TJ assembly in the alphaE-catenin-deficient cells. In vinculin-null F9 cells, their apical junctional organization was impaired, and this phenotype was rescued by reexpression of vinculin. These results indicate that the alphaE-catenin-vinculin interaction plays a role in the assembly of the apical junctional complex in epithelia.
Watabe-Uchida
M
M
Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, USA.
Uchida
N
N
Imamura
Y
Y
Nagafuchi
A
A
Fujimoto
K
K
Uemura
T
T
Vermeulen
S
S
van Roy
F
F
Adamson
E D
ED
Takeichi
M
M
D001665:Binding Sites; D002450:Cell Communication; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016596:Vinculin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D051178:alpha Catenin
C495273:CTNNA1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D051178:alpha Catenin; D016596:Vinculin