title: N-cadherin-catenin complexes form prior to cleavage of the proregion and transport to the plasma membrane.
abstract: Cadherins are calcium-dependent glycoproteins that function as cell-cell adhesion molecules and are linked to the actin cytoskeleton via catenins. Newly synthesized cadherins contain a prosequence that must be proteolytically removed to generate a functional adhesion molecule. The goal of this study was to examine the proteolytic processing of N-cadherin and the assembly of the cadherin-catenin complex in cells that express endogenous N-cadherin. A monoclonal antibody specific for the proregion of human N-cadherin was generated and used to examine N-cadherin processing. Our data show that newly synthesized proN-cadherin is phosphorylated and proteolytically processed prior to transport to the plasma membrane. In addition, we show that beta-catenin and plakoglobin associate only with phosphorylated proN-cadherin, whereas p120(ctn) can associate with both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated proN-cadherin. Immunoprecipitations using anti-proN-cadherin showed that cadherin-catenin complexes are assembled prior to localization at the plasma membrane. These data suggest that a core N-cadherin-catenin complex assembles in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi compartment and is transported to the plasma membrane where linkage to the actin cytoskeleton can be established.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry and Eppley Cancer Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7696, USA. Jwahl@unmc.edu
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wahl
authors.forename: Young J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Keith R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Margaret J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wheelock
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000095002:Delta Catenin; C000722347:CTNND1 protein, human