scholarly journals Cross-Talk between Adherens Junctions and Desmosomes Depends on Plakoglobin

1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani E. Lewis ◽  
James K. Wahl ◽  
Kristin M. Sass ◽  
Pamela J. Jensen ◽  
Keith R. Johnson ◽  
...  

Squamous epithelial cells have both adherens junctions and desmosomes. The ability of these cells to organize the desmosomal proteins into a functional structure depends upon their ability first to organize an adherens junction. Since the adherens junction and the desmosome are separate structures with different molecular make up, it is not immediately obvious why formation of an adherens junction is a prerequisite for the formation of a desmosome. The adherens junction is composed of a transmembrane classical cadherin (E-cadherin and/or P-cadherin in squamous epithelial cells) linked to either β-catenin or plakoglobin, which is linked to α-catenin, which is linked to the actin cytoskeleton. The desmosome is composed of transmembrane proteins of the broad cadherin family (desmogleins and desmocollins) that are linked to the intermediate filament cytoskeleton, presumably through plakoglobin and desmoplakin. To begin to study the role of adherens junctions in the assembly of desmosomes, we produced an epithelial cell line that does not express classical cadherins and hence is unable to organize desmosomes, even though it retains the requisite desmosomal components. Transfection of E-cadherin and/or P-cadherin into this cell line did not restore the ability to organize desmosomes; however, overexpression of plakoglobin, along with E-cadherin, did permit desmosome organization. These data suggest that plakoglobin, which is the only known common component to both adherens junctions and desmosomes, must be linked to E-cadherin in the adherens junction before the cell can begin to assemble desmosomal components at regions of cell–cell contact. Although adherens junctions can form in the absence of plakoglobin, making use only of β-catenin, such junctions cannot support the formation of desmosomes. Thus, we speculate that plakoglobin plays a signaling role in desmosome organization.

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 971-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rie Yamamura ◽  
Noriyuki Nishimura ◽  
Hiroyoshi Nakatsuji ◽  
Seiji Arase ◽  
Takuya Sasaki

The assembly of tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) is regulated by the transport of integral TJ and AJ proteins to and/or from the plasma membrane (PM) and it is tightly coordinated in epithelial cells. We previously reported that Rab13 and a junctional Rab13-binding protein (JRAB)/molecule interacting with CasL-like 2 (MICAL-L2) mediated the endocytic recycling of an integral TJ protein occludin and the formation of functional TJs. Here, we investigated the role of Rab13 and JRAB/MICAL-L2 in the transport of other integral TJ and AJ proteins claudin-1 and E-cadherin to the PM by using a Ca2+-switch model. Although knockdown of Rab13 specifically suppressed claudin-1 and occludin but not E-cadherin transport, knockdown of JRAB/MICAL-L2 and expression of its Rab13-binding domain (JRAB/MICAL-L2-C) inhibited claudin-1, occludin, and E-cadherin transport. We then identified Rab8 as another JRAB/MICAL-L2-C-binding protein. Knockdown of Rab8 inhibited the Rab13-independent transport of E-cadherin to the PM. Rab8 and Rab13 competed with each other for the binding to JRAB/MICAL-L2 and functionally associated with JRAB/MICAL-L2 at the perinuclear recycling/storage compartments and PM, respectively. These results suggest that the interaction of JRAB/MICAL-L2 with Rab8 and Rab13 coordinates the assembly of AJs and TJs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 166 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takanori Takahashi ◽  
Masanori Honsho ◽  
Yuichi Abe ◽  
Yukio Fujiki

AbstractEther glycerolipids, plasmalogens are found in various mammalian cells and tissues. However, physiological role of plasmalogens in epithelial cells remains unknown. We herein show that synthesis of ethanolamine-containing plasmalogens, plasmenylethanolamine (PlsEtn), is deficient in MCF7 cells, an epithelial cell line, with severely reduced expression of alkyl-dihydroxyacetonephosphate synthase (ADAPS), the second enzyme in the PlsEtn biosynthesis. Moreover, expression of ADAPS or supplementation of PlsEtn containing C18-alkenyl residue delays the migration of MCF7 cells as compared to that mock-treated MCF7 and C16-alkenyl-PlsEtn-supplemented MCF7 cells. Localization of E-cadherin to cell–cell junctions is highly augmented in cells containing C18-alkenyl-PlsEtn. Together, these results suggest that PlsEtn containing C18-alkenyl residue plays a distinct role in the integrity of E-cadherin-mediated adherens junction.


1996 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 1643-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Islam ◽  
T E Carey ◽  
G T Wolf ◽  
M J Wheelock ◽  
K R Johnson

E-cadherin is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mediates calcium-dependent, homotypic cell-cell adhesion and plays an important role in maintaining the normal phenotype of epithelial cells. Disruption of E-cadherin activity in epithelial cells correlates with formation of metastatic tumors. Decreased adhesive function may be implemented in a number of ways including: (a) decreased expression of E-cadherin; (b) mutations in the gene encoding E-cadherin; or (c) mutations in the genes that encode the catenins, proteins that link the cadherins to the cytoskeleton and are essential for cadherin mediated cell-cell adhesion. In this study, we explored the possibility that inappropriate expression of a nonepithelial cadherin by an epithelial cell might also result in disruption of cell-cell adhesion. We showed that a squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell line expressed N-cadherin and displayed a scattered fibroblastic phenotype along with decreased expression of E- and P-cadherin. Transfection of this cell line with antisense N-cadherin resulted in reversion to a normal-appearing squamous epithelial cell with increased E- and P-cadherin expression. In addition, transfection of a normal-appearing squamous epithelial cell line with N-cadherin resulted in downregulation of both E- and P-cadherin and a scattered fibroblastic phenotype. In all cases, the levels of expression of N-cadherin and E-cadherin were inversely related to one another. In addition, we showed that some squamous cell carcinomas expressed N-cadherin in situ and those tumors expressing N-cadherin were invasive. These studies led us to propose a novel mechanism for tumorigenesis in squamous epithelial cells; i.e., inadvertent expression of a nonepithelial cadherin.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (2) ◽  
pp. F511-F520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroko Togawa ◽  
Koichi Nakanishi ◽  
Hironobu Mukaiyama ◽  
Taketsugu Hama ◽  
Yuko Shima ◽  
...  

In polycystic kidney disease (PKD), cyst lining cells show polarity abnormalities. Recent studies have demonstrated loss of cell contact in cyst cells, suggesting induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Recently, EMT has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PKD. To explore further evidence of EMT in PKD, we examined age- and segment-specific expression of adhesion molecules and mesenchymal markers in PCK rats, an orthologous model of human autosomal-recessive PKD. Kidneys from 5 male PCK and 5 control rats each at 0 days, 1, 3, 10, and 14 wk, and 4 mo of age were serially sectioned and stained with segment-specific markers and antibodies against E-cadherin, Snail1, β-catenin, and N-cadherin. mRNAs for E-cadherin and Snail1 were quantified by real-time PCR. Vimentin, fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions were assessed as mesenchymal markers. E-cadherin expression pattern was correlated with the disease pathology in that tubule segments showing the highest expression in control had much severer cyst formation in PCK rats. In PCK rats, E-cadherin and β-catenin in cystic tubules was attenuated and localized to lateral areas of cell-cell contact, whereas nuclear expression of Snail1 increased in parallel with cyst enlargement. Some epithelial cells in large cysts derived from these segments, especially in adjacent fibrotic areas, showed positive immunoreactivity for vimentin and fibronectin. In conclusion, these findings suggest that epithelial cells in cysts acquire mesenchymal features in response to cyst enlargement and participate in progressive renal fibrosis. Our study clarified the nephron segment-specific cyst profile related to EMT in PCK rats. EMT may play a key role in polycystic kidney disease.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 397-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanita Bharti ◽  
Heike Handrow-Metzmacher ◽  
Silvia Zickenheiner ◽  
Andreas Zeitvogel ◽  
Rudolf Baumann ◽  
...  

While searching for potential candidate molecules relevant for the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we discovered a 2910-base pair cDNA encoding a novel putative 411-amino acid integral membrane protein that we called shrew-1. The putative open-reading frame was confirmed with antibodies against shrew-1 peptides that labeled a protein of ∼48 kDa in extracts of shrew-1 mRNA-positive tissue and also detected ectopically expressed shrew-1. Expression of epitope-tagged shrew-1 in epithelial cells and analysis by surface biotinylation and immunoblots demonstrated that shrew-1 is indeed a transmembrane protein. Shrew-1 is able to target to E-cadherin-mediated adherens junctions and interact with the E-cadherin–catenin complex in polarized MCF7 and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, but not with the N-cadherin–catenin complex in nonpolarized epithelial cells. Direct interaction of shrew-1 with β-catenin in in vitro pull-down assay suggests that β-catenin might be one of the proteins that targets and/or retains shrew-1 in the adherens junctions. Interestingly, shrew-1 was partially translocated in response to scatter factor (ligand of receptor tyrosine kinase c-met) from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm where it still colocalized with endogenous E-cadherin. In summary, we introduce shrew-1 as a novel component of adherens junctions, interacting with E-cadherin–β-catenin complexes in polarized epithelial cells.


Author(s):  
Rino P. Donato ◽  
Adaweyah El-Merhibi ◽  
Batjargal Gundsambuu ◽  
Kai Yan Mak ◽  
Emma R. Formosa ◽  
...  

1986 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-107
Author(s):  
M. Paye ◽  
C.M. Lapiere

PER cells, a transformed pulmonary epithelial cell line that adhered to a large extent to a fibronectin substratum, were found to be attachment-deficient to collagen I. Although fibronectin can bind to collagen I monomers and polymers, the addition of exogenous fibronectin in the attachment medium induced the adhesion of these cells to collagen I polymers but not to monomers. By adding the transglutaminase of blood coagulation, FXIII, in the presence of fibronectin, the attachment of PER cells to collagen I monomers could be recovered while the minimal concentration of fibronectin needed to promote their adhesion to polymers was lowered. These studies indicate that FXIII enhances the fibronectin-mediated attachment of PER cells to collagen I.


1989 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-332
Author(s):  
E.J. Hughson ◽  
D.F. Cutler ◽  
C.R. Hopkins

The immunoglobulin kappa light chain is constitutively secreted in non-polarised cells. It is therefore unlikely to display any of the signals thought to be required for the selective delivery of proteins to the apical or basolateral borders of polarised epithelial cells. We have transfected the gene for the kappa light chain into a polarised epithelial cell line (Caco-2) and shown that it is secreted predominantly from the basolateral surface. Metabolically labelled endogenous secretory products show the same polarity and we conclude, therefore, that in Caco-2 cells there is a major intracellular trafficking route to the basolateral border that requires no sorting signal.


1996 ◽  
Vol 109 (5) ◽  
pp. 1143-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.K. Wahl ◽  
P.A. Sacco ◽  
T.M. McGranahan-Sadler ◽  
L.M. Sauppe ◽  
M.J. Wheelock ◽  
...  

Two cell-cell junctions, the adherens junction and the desmosome, are prominent in epithelial cells. These junctions are composed of transmembrane cadherins which interact with cytoplasmic proteins that serve to link the cadherin to the cytoskeleton. One component of both adherens junctions and desmosomes is plakoglobin. In the adherens junction plakoglobin interacts with both the classical cadherin and with alpha-catenin. Alpha-catenin in turn interacts with microfilaments. The role plakoglobin plays in the desmosome is not well understood. Plakoglobin interacts with the desmosomal cadherins, but how and if this mediates interactions with the intermediate filament cytoskeleton is not known. Here we compare the domains of plakoglobin that allow it to associate with the desmosomal cadherins with those involved in interactions with the classical cadherins. We show that three sites on plakoglobin are involved in associations with the desmosomal cadherins. A domain near the N terminus is unique to the desmosomal cadherins and overlaps with the site that interacts with alpha-catenin, suggesting that there may be competition between alpha-catenin and the desmosomal cadherins for interactions with plakoglobin. In addition, a central domain is shared with regions used by plakoglobin to associate with the classical cadherins. Finally, a domain near the C terminus is shown to strongly modulate the interactions with the desmosomal cadherins. This latter domain also contributes to the association of plakoglobin with the classical cadherins.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document