Cingulin, paracingulin, and PLEKHA7: signaling and cytoskeletal adaptors at the apical junctional complex.
Cingulin, paracingulin, and PLEKHA7 are proteins localized in the cytoplasmic region of the apical junctional complex of vertebrate epithelial cells. Cingulin has been detected at tight junctions (TJs), whereas paracingulin has been detected at both TJs and adherens junctions (AJs) and PLEKHA7 has been detected at AJs. One function of cingulin and paracingulin is to regulate the activity of Rho family GTPases at junctions through their direct interaction with guanidine exchange factors of RhoA and Rac1. Cingulin also contributes to the regulation of transcription of several genes in different types of cultured cells, in part through its ability to modulate RhoA activity. PLEKHA7, together with paracingulin, is part of a protein complex that links E-cadherin to the microtubule cytoskeleton at AJs. In this paper, we review the current knowledge about these proteins, including their discovery, the characterization of their expression, localization, structure, molecular interactions, and their roles in different developmental and disease model systems.
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Geneva, Switzerland. sandra.citi@unige.ch
Sandra
S
Citi
Pamela
P
Pulimeno
Serge
S
Paschoud
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C061407:CGN protein, human; C533277:CGNL1 protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C533786:PLEKHA7 protein, human; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein