title: p120-catenin regulates microtubule dynamics and cell migration in a cadherin-independent manner.
abstract: p120-catenin (p120) has been shown to be essential for cadherin stability. Here, we show that p120 is capable of regulating microtubule (MT) dynamics in a cadherin-independent manner. When p120 was depleted in cadherin-deficient Neuro-2a (N2a) cells, MT stability was reduced, as assessed by the nocodazole sensitivity of MTs. On the contrary, over-expression of p120 caused MTs to become resistant to nocodazole. Time-lapse recording of GFP-tagged EB1, a protein which binds the growing plus-ends of MTs, introduced into these cells demonstrated that the plus ends underwent more frequent catastrophe in p120-depleted cells. In addition, p120 knockdown up-regulated the motility of isolated cells, whereas it down-regulated the directional migration of cells from wound edges; and these migratory behaviors of cells were mimicked by nocodazole-induced MT depolymerization. These results suggest that p120 has the ability to regulate MT dynamics and that this activity, in turn, affects cell motility independently of the cadherin adhesion system.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichii
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeichi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051379:Mice; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000095002:Delta Catenin; C000722349:Ctnnd1 protein, mouse