title: Genetic alterations of δ-catenin/NPRAP/Neurojungin (CTNND2): functional implications in complex human diseases.
abstract: Some genes involved in complex human diseases are particularly vulnerable to genetic variations such as single nucleotide polymorphism, copy number variations, and mutations. For example, Ras mutations account for over 30 % of all human cancers. Additionally, there are some genes that can display different variations with functional impact in different diseases that are unrelated. One such gene stands out: δ-catenin/NPRAP/Neurojungin with gene designation as CTNND2 on chromosome 5p15.2. Recent advances in genome wide association as well as molecular biology approaches have uncovered striking involvement of δ-catenin gene variations linked to complex human disorders. These disorders include cancer, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, Cri-du-chat syndrome, myopia, cortical cataract-linked Alzheimer's disease, and infectious diseases. This list has rapidly grown longer in recent years, underscoring the pivotal roles of δ-catenin in critical human diseases. δ-Catenin is an adhesive junction-associated protein in the delta subfamily of the β-catenin superfamily. δ-Catenin functions in Wnt signaling to regulate gene expression and modulate Rho GTPases of the Ras superfamily in cytoskeletal reorganization. δ-Catenin likely lies where Wnt signaling meets Rho GTPases and is a unique and vulnerable common target for mutagenesis in different human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA. luq@ecu.edu.|The Harriet and John Wooten Laboratory for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA. luq@ecu.edu.|Department of Urological Surgery, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China. luq@ecu.edu.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.
authors.forename: Byron J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.|Department of Urological Surgery, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Mingchuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Urological Surgery, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
authors.forename: Yongguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27834, USA.
authors.forename: Yan-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D051177:Catenins / Q000235:genetics*; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000235:genetics; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D051177:Catenins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D000095002:Delta Catenin; C000722348:CTNND2 protein, human