title: Differential regulation of endogenous cadherin expression in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells by cell-cell adhesion and activation of beta -catenin signaling.
abstract: Cadherins mediate cell-cell adhesion, but little is known about how their expression is regulated. In Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, the cadherin-associated cytoplasmic proteins alpha- and beta-catenin form high molecular weight protein complexes with two glycoproteins (Stewart, D. B., and Nelson, W. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 29652-29662), one of which is E-cadherin and the other we show here is the type II cadherin, cadherin-6 (K-cadherin). In low density, motile MDCK cells, the steady-state level of cadherin-6 is low, but protein is synthesized. However, following cell-cell adhesion, cadherin-6 becomes stabilized and accumulates by >50-fold at cell-cell contacts while the E-cadherin level increases only 5-fold during the same period. To investigate a role of beta-catenin in regulation of cadherin expression in MDCK cells, we examined the effects of expressing signaling-active beta-catenin mutants (DeltaGSK, DeltaN90, and DeltaN131). In these cells, while levels of E-cadherin, alpha- and beta-catenin are similar to those in control cells, levels of cadherin-6 are significantly reduced due to rapid degradation of newly synthesized protein. Additionally, these cells appeared more motile and less cohesive, as expression of DeltaGSK-beta-catenin delayed the establishment of tight confluent cell monolayers compared with control cells. These results indicate that the level of cadherin-6, but not that of E-cadherin, is strictly regulated post-translationally in response to Wnt signaling, and that E-cadherin and cadherin-6 may contribute different properties to cell-cell adhesion and the epithelial phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5345, USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; C087310:K cadherin