Catenins in Xenopus embryogenesis and their relation to the cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion system

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schneider ◽  
K. Herrenknecht ◽  
S. Butz ◽  
R. Kemler ◽  
P. Hausen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Xenopus Embryo ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Metabolic Labelling ◽  
Adhesion System ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

In the course of an analysis of cell-cell adhesion in the Xenopus embryo, antibodies directed against alpha- and beta-catenin were applied to investigate their relation to the cadherins occurring early in this system. The results demonstrate that alpha- and beta-catenin are provided maternally and increase in amount throughout embryogenesis. Immunoprecipitations indicate that both of the catenins are complexed to U-cadherin in the early phase of embryogenesis and to E-cadherin, when it appears during gastrulation. An excess of alpha-catenin occurs in free form in the early embryo, whereas all of the beta-catenin seems to be complexed to cadherin. Synthesis of the two components throughout early embryogenesis and their binding to newly synthesized cadherins were demonstrated by metabolic labelling. The spatial distribution of alpha-catenin was analysed by immunohistology. During cleavage alpha-catenin is deposited evenly along the plasma membranes within the embryo, while the cell peripheries at the surface of the embryo remain devoid of alpha-catenin. At later stages, the pattern of alpha-catenin distribution becomes more complex. Quantitative differences in the intensity of staining along the plasma membranes in the different regions of the embryo can be distinguished. Particularly the appearance of E-cadherin in the gastrula ectoderm is accompanied by conspicuous depositions of alpha-catenin along the respective plasma membranes in this layer. All cells in the later embryo, apart from the neural crest cells, carry alpha-catenin on their plasma membranes indicating the universal character of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion in the Xenopus embryo.

scholarly journals Two Cell Adhesion Molecules, Nectin and Cadherin, Interact through Their Cytoplasmic Domain–Associated Proteins

2000 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 1161-1176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kouichi Tachibana ◽  
Hiroyuki Nakanishi ◽  
Kenji Mandai ◽  
Kumi Ozaki ◽  
Wataru Ikeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cell Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Cytoplasmic Domain ◽  
Adhesion Sites ◽  
Adhesion System ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Mechanism Of Interaction ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

We have found a new cell–cell adhesion system at cadherin-based cell–cell adherens junctions (AJs) consisting of at least nectin and l-afadin. Nectin is a Ca2+-independent homophilic immunoglobulin-like adhesion molecule, and l-afadin is an actin filament-binding protein that connects the cytoplasmic region of nectin to the actin cytoskeleton. Both the trans-interaction of nectin and the interaction of nectin with l-afadin are necessary for their colocalization with E-cadherin and catenins at AJs. Here, we examined the mechanism of interaction between these two cell–cell adhesion systems at AJs by the use of α-catenin–deficient F9 cell lines and cadherin-deficient L cell lines stably expressing their various components. We showed here that nectin and E-cadherin were colocalized through l-afadin and the COOH-terminal half of α-catenin at AJs. Nectin trans-interacted independently of E-cadherin, and the complex of E-cadherin and α- and β-catenins was recruited to nectin-based cell–cell adhesion sites through l-afadin without the trans-interaction of E-cadherin. Our results indicate that nectin and cadherin interact through their cytoplasmic domain–associated proteins and suggest that these two cell–cell adhesion systems cooperatively organize cell–cell AJs.

scholarly journals Plakoglobin, or an 83-kD homologue distinct from beta-catenin, interacts with E-cadherin and N-cadherin.

1992 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 671-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
K A Knudsen ◽  
M J Wheelock
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cell Surface ◽  
Molecular Mass ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Calcium Dependent ◽  
Intracellular Proteins ◽  
Dependent Cell ◽  
Cell Surface Glycoproteins ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

E- and N-cadherin are members of a family of calcium-dependent, cell surface glycoproteins involved in cell-cell adhesion. Extracellularly, the transmembrane cadherins self-associate, while, intracellularly, they interact with the actin-based cytoskeleton. Several intracellular proteins, collectively termed catenins, have been noted to co-immunoprecipitate with E- and N-cadherin and are thought to be involved in linking the cadherins to the cytoskeleton. Two catenins have been identified recently: a 102-kD vinculin-like protein (alpha-catenin) and a 92-kD Drosophila armadillo/plakoglobin-like protein (beta-catenin). Here, we show that plakoglobin, or an 83-kD plakoglobin-like protein, co-immunoprecipitates and colocalizes with both E- and N-cadherin. The 83-kD protein is immunologically distinct from the 92-kD beta-catenin and, because of its molecular mass, likely represents the cadherin-associated protein called gamma-catenin. Thus, two different members of a plakoglobin family associate with N- and E-cadherin and, together with the 102-kD alpha-catenin, appear to participate in linking the cadherins to the actin-based cytoskeleton.

scholarly journals Different effects of dominant negative mutants of desmocollin and desmoglein on the cell-cell adhesion of keratinocytes

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 1803-1811
Author(s):  
Y. Hanakawa ◽  
M. Amagai ◽  
Y. Shirakata ◽  
K. Sayama ◽  
K. Hashimoto
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Adherens Junctions ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Hacat Cells ◽  
Subsequent Formation ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Desmosomes contain two types of cadherin: desmocollin (Dsc) and desmoglein (Dsg). In this study, we examined the different roles that Dsc and Dsg play in the formation of desmosomes, by using dominant-negative mutants. We constructed recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) containing truncated mutants of E-cadherin, desmocollin 3a, and desmoglein 3 lacking a large part of their extracellular domains (EcaddeltaEC, Dsc3adeltaEC, Dsg3deltaEC), using the Cre-loxP Ad system to circumvent the problem of the toxicity of the mutants to virus-producing cells. When Dsc3adeltaEC Ad-infected HaCaT cells were cultured with high levels of calcium, E-cadherin and beta-catenin, which are marker molecules for the adherens junction, disappeared from the cell-cell contact sites, and cell-cell adhesion was disrupted. This also occurred in the cells infected with EcaddeltaEC Ad. With Dsg3deltaEC Ad infection, keratin insertion at the cell-cell contact sites was inhibited and desmoplakin, a marker of desmosomes, was stained in perinuclear dots while the adherens junctions remained intact. Dsc3adeltaEC Ad inhibited the induction of adherens junctions and the subsequent formation of desmosomes with the calcium shift, while Dsg3deltaEC Ad only inhibited the formation of desmosomes. To further determine whether Dsc3adeltaEC directly affected adherens junctions, mouse fibroblast L cells transfected with E-cadherin (LEC5) were infected with these mutant Ads. Both Dsc3adeltaEC and EcaddeltaEC inhibited the cell-cell adhesion of LEC5 cells, as determined by the cell aggregation assay, while Dsg3deltaEC did not. These results indicate that the dominant negative effects of Dsg3deltaEC were restricted to desmosomes, while those of Dsc3adeltaEC were observed in both desmosomes and adherens junctions. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic domain of Dsc3adeltaEC coprecipitated both plakoglobin and beta-catenin in HaCaT cells. In addition, beta-catenin was found to bind the endogenous Dsc in HaCaT cells. These findings lead us to speculate that Dsc interacts with components of the adherens junctions through beta-catenin, and plays a role in nucleating desmosomes after the adherens junctions have been established.

Beta-catenin localization during Xenopus embryogenesis: accumulation at tissue and somite boundaries

Development ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 3667-3679 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Fagotto ◽  
B.M. Gumbiner
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Axis Formation ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Frozen Sections ◽  
Simple Correlation ◽  
Different Tissues ◽  
Strength Of Adhesion ◽  
Cell Cell

beta-catenin is a cytoplasmic protein associated with cadherin adhesion molecules and has been implicated in axis formation in Xenopus (McCrea, P. D., Brieher, W. M. and Gumbiner, B. M. (1993) J. Cell Biol. 127, 477–484). We have studied its distribution in Xenopus embryos by immunofluorescence on frozen sections. Consistent with its function in cell-cell adhesion, beta-catenin is present in every cell. However, high levels are expressed in certain regions and different tissues of the embryo. No simple correlation appears to exist between the levels of beta-catenin with the expected strength of adhesion. High levels of beta-catenin were found in regions undergoing active morphogenetic movements, such as the marginal zone of blastulae and gastrulae. This suggests that high expression of beta-catenin could be involved in dynamic adhesion events. Surprisingly, beta-catenin also accumulates on plasma membranes that probably do not establish direct or strong contacts with other cells. In particular, high amounts of beta-catenin are found transiently at boundaries between tissue anlagen and at the intersomitic boundaries. This unexpected pattern of beta-catenin expression raises the possibility that this molecule participates in developmental processes, perhaps independently of its classical role in cell-cell adhesion.

scholarly journals Loss of E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesion due to mutation of the beta-catenin gene in a human cancer cell line, HSC-39.

1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1175-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Kawanishi ◽  
J Kato ◽  
K Sasaki ◽  
S Fujii ◽  
N Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Cancer Cell ◽  
Cancer Cell Line ◽  
Cell Aggregation ◽  
Expression Vectors ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Dependent Cell ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Detachment of cell-cell adhesion is indispensable for the first step of invasion and metastasis of cancer. This mechanism is frequently associated with the impairment of either E-cadherin expression or function. However, mechanisms of such abnormalities have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that the function of E-cadherin was completely abolished in the human gastric cancer cell line HSC-39, despite the high expression of E-cadherin, because of mutations in one of the E-cadherin-associated cytoplasmic proteins, beta-catenin. Although immunofluorescence staining of HSC-39 cells by using an anti-E-cadherin antibody (HECD-1) revealed the strong and uniform expression of E-cadherin on the cell surface, cell compaction and cell aggregation were not observed in this cell. Western blotting (immunoblotting) using HECD-1 exhibited a 120-kDa band which is equivalent to normal E-cadherin. Northern (RNA) blotting demonstrated a 4.7-kb band, the same as mature E-cadherin mRNA. Immunoprecipitation of metabolically labeled proteins with HECD-1 revealed three bands corresponding to E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and gamma-catenin and a 79-kDa band which was apparently smaller than that of normal beta-catenin, indicating truncated beta-catenin. The 79-kDa band was immunologically identified as beta-catenin by using immunoblotting with anti-beta-catenin antibodies. Examination of beta-catenin mRNA by the reverse transcriptase-PCR method revealed a transcript which was shorter than that of normal beta-catenin. The sequencing of PCR product for beta-catenin confirmed deletion in 321 bases from nucleotides +82 to +402. Southern blotting of beta-catenin DNA disclosed mutation at the genomic level. Expression vectors of Beta-catenin were introduced into HSC-39 cells by transfection. In the obtained transfectants, E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell adhesiveness was recovered, as revealed by cell compaction, cell aggregation, and immunoflourescence staining. From these results, it was concluded that in HSC-39 cells, impaired cell-cell adhesion is due to mutations in beta-catenin which results in the dysfunction of E-cadherin.

scholarly journals Quantitative analysis of cadherin-catenin-actin reorganization during development of cell-cell adhesion.

1996 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 1899-1911 ◽  
Author(s):  
C L Adams ◽  
W J Nelson ◽  
S J Smith
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Actin Reorganization ◽  
Cell Contacts ◽  
Spatial Ordering ◽  
Triton X ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Epithelial cell-cell adhesion requires interactions between opposing extracellular domains of E-cadherin, and among the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin, catenins, and actin cytoskeleton. Little is known about how the cadherin-catenin-actin complex is assembled upon cell-cell contact, or how these complexes initiate and strengthen adhesion. We have used time-lapse differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging to observe the development of cell-cell contacts, and quantitative retrospective immunocytochemistry to measure recruitment of proteins to those contacts. We show that E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin, but not plakoglobin, coassemble into Triton X-100 insoluble (TX-insoluble) structures at cell-cell contacts with kinetics similar to those for strengthening of E-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion (Angres, B., A. Barth, and W.J. Nelson. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 134:549-557). TX-insoluble E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, and beta-catenin colocalize along cell-cell contacts in spatially discrete micro-domains which we designate "puncta," and the relative amounts of each protein in each punctum increase proportionally. As the length of the contact increases, the number of puncta increases proportionally along the contact and each punctum is associated with a bundle of actin filaments. These results indicate that localized clustering of E-cadherin/catenin complexes into puncta and their association with actin is involved in initiating cell contacts. Subsequently, the spatial ordering of additional puncta along the contact may be involved in zippering membranes together, resulting in rapid strengthening of adhesion.

scholarly journals Interaction of alpha-actinin with the cadherin/catenin cell-cell adhesion complex via alpha-catenin.

1995 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
K A Knudsen ◽  
A P Soler ◽  
K R Johnson ◽  
M J Wheelock
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Cytoskeletal Proteins ◽  
Beta Catenin ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Intracellular Proteins ◽  
Direct Association ◽  
Dependent Cell ◽  
Adhesion Complex ◽  
E Cadherin ◽  
Cell Cell

Cadherins are Ca(2+)-dependent, cell surface glycoproteins involved in cell-cell adhesion. Extracellularly, transmembrane cadherins such as E-, P-, and N-cadherin self-associate, while intracellularly they interact indirectly with the actin-based cytoskeleton. Several intracellular proteins termed catenins, including alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and plakoglobin, are tightly associated with these cadherins and serve to link them to the cytoskeleton. Here, we present evidence that in fibroblasts alpha-actinin, but not vinculin, colocalizes extensively with the N-cadherin/catenin complex. This is in contrast to epithelial cells where both cytoskeletal proteins colocalize extensively with E-cadherin and catenins. We further show that alpha-actinin, but not vinculin, coimmunoprecipitates specifically with alpha- and beta-catenin from N- and E-cadherin-expressing cells, but only if alpha-catenin is present. Moreover, we show that alpha-actinin coimmunoprecipitates with the N-cadherin/catenin complex in an actin-independent manner. We therefore propose that cadherin/catenin complexes are linked to the actin cytoskeleton via a direct association between alpha-actinin and alpha-catenin.

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