title: Roles of nectins in cell adhesion, migration and polarization.
abstract: Nectins are Ca2+-independent immunoglobulin (Ig)-like cell-cell adhesion molecules, which comprise a family consisting of four members. Nectins have five activities: (1) they show Ca2+-independent cell-cell adhesion activity by homo- and hetero-trans-interactions through their extracellular regions; (2) they bind afadin, an actin filament (F-actin)-binding protein, through their cytoplasmic tails and are connected to the actin cytoskeleton; (3) they induce activation of Cdc42 and Rac small G proteins through their cytoplasmic tails; (4) they bind Par-3, a cell polarity protein, through their cytoplasmic tails; and (5) they heterophilically trans-interact with Necls, nectin-like molecules, through their extracellular regions. Through these activities, nectins regulate a variety of cellular functions, including adhesion, migration, and polarization. Here we describe these activities and functions of nectins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000075983:Nectins; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000075983:Nectins