The vertebrate adhesive junction proteins beta-catenin and plakoglobin and the Drosophila segment polarity gene armadillo form a multigene family with similar properties

Three proteins identified by quite different criteria in three different systems, the Drosophila segment polarity gene armadillo, the human desmosomal protein plakoglobin, and the Xenopus E-cadherin-associated protein beta-catenin, share amino acid sequence similarity. These findings raise questions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of cell biology 1992-08, Vol.118 (3), p.681-691
Main Authors: Peifer, M. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC), McCrea, P.D, Green, K.J, Wieschaus, E, Gumbiner, B.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
AMPHIBIEN
ANFIBIOS
Animals
Antibodies
ANTICORPS
ANTICUERPOS
Armadillo Domain Proteins
Armadillos
beta Catenin
Cadherins
Cadherins - genetics
Cadherins - metabolism
Cell adhesion
Cell Adhesion Molecules - genetics
Cell Adhesion Molecules - immunology
Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism
Cell Biology
Cell Line
Cell lines
Cell membranes
Cells
CHIMIE
Cross Reactions
Cytoskeletal Proteins - genetics
Cytoskeletal Proteins - immunology
Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism
Desmoglein 1
Desmogleins
Desmoplakins
Desmosomes
Diptera
DROSOPHILA
Drosophila - genetics
Drosophila Proteins
Drosophilidae
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
Epithelial cells
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
gamma Catenin
GENERO HUMANO
GENRE HUMAIN
Humans
IMMUNOLOGIE
INMUNOLOGIA
Intercellular Junctions - metabolism
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
MEMBRANAS CELULARES
MEMBRANE CELLULAIRE
Mice
Molecular Sequence Data
Molecules
Multigene Family
PROPIEDADES MECANICAS
PROPRIETE MECANIQUE
PROTEINAS
PROTEINE
Proteins - genetics
Proteins - immunology
Proteins - metabolism
QUIMICA
REACCION ANTIGENO-ANTICUERPO
REACTION ANTIGENE ANTICORPS
Science & Technology
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Trans-Activators
Transcription Factors
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Summary:Three proteins identified by quite different criteria in three different systems, the Drosophila segment polarity gene armadillo, the human desmosomal protein plakoglobin, and the Xenopus E-cadherin-associated protein beta-catenin, share amino acid sequence similarity. These findings raise questions about the relationship among the three molecules and their roles in different cell-cell adhesive junctions. We have found that antibodies against the Drosophila segment polarity gene armadillo cross react with a conserved vertebrate protein. This protein is membrane associated, probably via its interaction with a cadherin-like molecule. This cross-reacting protein is the cadherin-associated protein beta-catenin. Using anti-armadillo and antiplakoglobin antibodies, it was shown that beta-catenin and plakoglobin are distinct molecules, which can coexist in the same cell type. Plakoglobin interacts with the desmosomal glycoprotein desmoglein I, and weakly with E-cadherin. Although beta-catenin interacts tightly with E-cadherin, it does not seem to be associated with either desmoglein I or with isolated desmosomes. Anti-armadillo antibodies have been further used to determine the intracellular localization of beta-catenin, and to examine its tissue distribution. The implications of these results for the structure and function of different cell-cell adhesive junctions are discussed
ISSN:0021-9525
1540-8140
DOI:10.1083/jcb.118.3.681