title: Drosophila p120-catenin is crucial for endocytosis of the dynamic E-cadherin-Bazooka complex.
abstract: The intracellular functions of classical cadherins are mediated through the direct binding of two catenins: β-catenin and p120-catenin (also known as CTNND1 in vertebrates, and p120ctn in Drosophila). Whereas β-catenin is crucial for cadherin function, the role of p120-catenin is less clear and appears to vary between organisms. We show here that p120-catenin has a conserved role in regulating the endocytosis of cadherins, but that its ancestral role might have been to promote endocytosis, followed by the acquisition of a new inhibitory role in vertebrates. In Drosophila, p120-catenin facilitates endocytosis of the dynamic E-cadherin-Bazooka subcomplex, which is followed by its recycling. The absence of p120-catenin stabilises this subcomplex at the membrane, reducing the ability of cells to exchange neighbours in embryos and expanding cell-cell contacts in imaginal discs.
authors.affiliation: The Gurdon Institute and Dept of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
authors.forename: Natalia A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bulgakova
authors.affiliation: The Gurdon Institute and Dept of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Rd, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK nb117@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicholas H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051177:Catenins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D051177:Catenins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C400774:baz protein, Drosophila; D000095002:Delta Catenin
keywords: Cell adhesion; E-cadherin trafficking; Epithelial morphogenesis