hScrib interacts with ZO-2 at the cell-cell junctions of epithelial cells

In Drosophila, the tumor suppressor Scribble is localized at the septate junctions of epithelial cells. Its mammalian homologue, hScrib, is a basolateral protein likely associated to proteins of the cell-cell junctions. We report the direct interaction between hScrib and ZO-2, a junction-associated protein. This interaction relies on two PDZ domains of hScrib and on the C-terminal motif of ZO-2. Both proteins localise at cell-cell junctions of epithelial cells. A point mutation in the LRR of hScrib delocalises the protein from the plasma membrane and abrogates the interaction with ZO-2 but not with betaPIX. Tyrosine phosphorylation of hScrib does not impair the interaction with ZO-2. We show a direct link between two junctional proteins that are down-regulated during cancer progression.