title: p120 catenin associates with microtubules: inverse relationship between microtubule binding and Rho GTPase regulation.
abstract: p120 catenin (p120ctn), an armadillo protein and component of the cadherin adhesion complex, has been found recently to induce a dendritic morphology by regulating Rho family GTPases. We have identified specific serines within the Arm repeat domain that, when mutated to alanine, promote p120ctn association with interphase microtubules, leading to microtubule reorganization and stabilization. The mutant p120ctn also localized to the mitotic spindle and centrosomes. In contrast to wild-type p120ctn, the microtubule-associated p120ctn mutant did not activate Rac1 and did not induce a dendritic morphology. In addition, we show that a basic motif within the p120ctn Arm repeat domain known to be required for the inhibition of RhoA is also required for binding to microtubules. We therefore propose that binding of p120ctn to microtubules is inversely related to its ability to regulate Rho GTPases.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Royal Free and University College School of Medicine, 91 Riding House Street, London W1W 7BS, UK.
authors.forename: Clemens M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: Anne J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ridley
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000737:chemistry; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D051177:Catenins; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018385:Centrosome / Q000378:metabolism; D018274:Electroporation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D009154:Mutation; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010641:Phenotype; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D017354:Point Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry; D014162:Transfection; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012694:Serine; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D000409:Alanine; D000095002:Delta Catenin