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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Reconstitution Of β-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract
Published on: June 17, 2014
Cinderella no longer: alpha-catenin steps out of cadherin's shadow
1Division of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract:
To date, alpha-catenin has been best understood as an important cytoplasmic component of the classical cadherin complex responsible for cell-cell adhesion. By virtue of its capacity to bind F-actin, alpha-catenin was commonly envisaged to support cadherin function by coupling the adhesion receptor to the actin cytoskeleton. But is alpha-catenin solely the cadherin's handmaiden? A range of recent developments suggest, instead, that its biological activity is much more complex than previously appreciated. Evidence from cellular systems and model organisms demonstrates a clear, often dramatic, role for alpha-catenin in tissue organization and morphogenesis. The morphogenetic impact of alpha-catenin reflects its capacity to mediate functional cooperation between cadherins and the actin cytoskeleton, but is not confined to this. alpha-catenin has a role in regulating cell proliferation and cadherin-independent pools of alpha-catenin may contribute to its functional impact.
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