title: Roles and modes of action of nectins in cell-cell adhesion.
abstract: Nectins are Ca(2+)-independent immunoglobulin (Ig)-like cell-cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), which comprise a family consisting of four members. Each nectin homophilically and heterophilically trans-interacts and causes cell-cell adhesion. Biochemical, cell biological, and knockout mice studies have revealed that nectins play important roles in formation of many types of cell-cell junctions and cell-cell contacts, including cadherin-based adherens junctions (AJs) and synapses. Mode of action of nectins in the formation of AJs has extensively been investigated. Nectins form initial cell-cell adhesion and recruit E-cadherin to the nectin-based cell-cell adhesion sites. In addition, nectins induce activation of Cdc42 and Rac small G proteins, which eventually enhances the formation of cadherin-based AJs through the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Nectins furthermore heterophilically trans-interact with nectin-like molecules (Necls), other Ig-like CAMs, and assist or modify their various functions, such as cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. We describe here the roles and modes of action of nectins as CAMs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakisaka
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D000075983:Nectins; D011485:Protein Binding; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D000075983:Nectins; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D002118:Calcium