Cadherin tales: Regulation of cadherin function by endocytic membrane trafficking.
Cadherins are the primary adhesion molecules in adherens junctions and desmosomes and play essential roles in embryonic development. Although significant progress has been made in understanding cadherin structure and function, we lack a clear vision of how cells confer plasticity upon adhesive junctions to allow for cellular rearrangements during development, wound healing and metastasis. Endocytic membrane trafficking has emerged as a fundamental mechanism by which cells confer a dynamic state to adhesive junctions. Recent studies indicate that the juxtamembrane domain of classical cadherins contains multiple endocytic motifs, or "switches," that can be used by cellular membrane trafficking machinery to regulate adhesion. The cadherin-binding protein p120-catenin (p120) appears to be the master regulator of access to these switches, thereby controlling cadherin endocytosis and turnover. This review focuses on p120 and other cadherin-binding proteins, ubiquitin ligases, and growth factors as key modulators of cadherin membrane trafficking.
Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Chantel M
CM
Cadwell
Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.|Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology Graduate Training Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Wenji
W
Su
Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.|Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.|Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Andrew P
AP
Kowalczyk
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D021381:Protein Transport
D015820:Cadherins
adherens junction; adhesion; cadherin; desmosome; endocytosis; p120-catenin; recycling